‘Cheema ignored convention while replacing party whips’

CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rebel group on Tuesday accused leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema of removing chief whip and whip of the legislature party without following the convention.

Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu, who is spokesperson of the dissident faction, said Cheema should have convened a meeting of party legislators before any such decision. “When the chief whip and two whips were appointed earlier, the then leader of opposition had sought views of MLAS,” he said at a press conference. Maur MLA Jagdev Singh Kamalu and Bhadaur MLA Pirmal Singh Khalsa were also present.

Cheema had on Monday appointed Kotkapura MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan as chief whip in place of Mansa MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia. Rupnagar MLA Amarjit Sandoa was made whip in place of Bhadaur MLA Pirmal Singh. Both Manshahia and Khalsa belong to the Khaira-led dissident group. Bathinda (Rural) MLA Rupinder Singh Ruby, who is loyal to Delhi leadership, was retained as whip. The changes were made by the leader of opposition to have a grip on the divided legislature party ahead of the three-day monsoon session of the state assembly that is starting on August 24.

post of leader of opposition in an “unconstitutional” manner on July 26.

“The letter regarding changing the leader of opposition was delivered to the assembly speaker by hand a few hours before Manish Sisodia (AAP’S Punjab affairs in-charge and Delhi deputy chief minister) spoke to me about it. He spoke to me around 3.30pm whereas the letter was delivered at 11.30am. This has been confirmed to us by the assembly secretariat,” he said, alleging that the manner in which Khaira was removed amounted to “cheating”.

The Kharar MLA also accused the leader of opposition of “deliberately” scheduling the AAP legislature party meeting for the upcoming assembly session at a