As the AAP faces a split in Punjab over Arvind Kejriwal’s apology to Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia, state…
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (Photo: Facebook)
As the AAP faces a split in Punjab over Arvind Kejriwal’s apology to Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia, state legislators will on Sunday meet the party chief in the national capital.
According to media reports, the meeting between the Punjab MLAs and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener will take place in the evening at the Delhi chief minister’s residence.
While, the legislators will lodge following Kejriwal’s apology to Majithia over “unfounded” drug trade allegations, the party leadership will ensure that the miffed MLAs are pacified to avoid any embarrassment in Punjab– the only state apart from Delhi where the party made an impressive poll debut.
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Two top AAP Punjab leaders — state president Bhagwat Mann and co-president Aman Arora on Friday resigned in protest against Kejriwal’s apology with at least 15 of the 20 party legislators in favour of defecting and forming an independent unit.
Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira said almost all of party legislators were in favour of breaking away from the AAP and form an independent unit “for the sake of Punjabis”.
Khaira said a decision would be taken in consultation with all party workers, the people of Punjab and like-minded people in other parties to protect the interest of Punjab and the Punjabis.
Khaira said all MLAs were unanimous that Kejriwal should have taken them into confidence before tendering an apology to Majithia.
In another fallout of Kejriwal’s written apology to Majithia on Thursday, AAP’s only alliance partner in the country, the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) broke the tie-up over the “betrayal of Punjabis” by the AAP chief. The LIP is having two legislators in the Punjab Assembly and had pre-poll alliance with the AAP.
Majithia had filed a defamation case against the AAP chief and others following the allegation of drug trade made during campaigning in the Punjab assembly elections.
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