Trouble brews in AAP ahead of polls

After defection of Ved Parkash, Rajesh Rishi cautions CM against listening to ‘sycophants’

A major internal strife is brewing within the Aam Aadmi Party ahead of the crucial civic polls on its home turf. Days after Bawana MLA Ved Parkash quit the AAP, another party legislator aired his dissatisfaction on Thursday, cautioning Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal against “sycophants.” The development left the party “redfaced” even though it tried to downplay it. There are unconfirmed reports suggesting that half a dozen more AAP legislators are in touch with the Congress. But an AAP functionary called it a propoganda campaign by the Congress, which could not open its account in the 70-member Assembly even after ruling the city for 15 consecutive years.

During the day, in a series of tweets, AAP’s Janakpuri MLA Rajesh Rishi quoted couplets saying a regime nears its end if one relies on sycophants and tagged Mr Kejriwal. He later deleted the tweets.

The development left the ruling AAP embarrassed as it is in the middle of preparations to contest its first civic polls in Delhi on April 23 after the drubbing it received in the recently concluded Punjab and Goa polls. The party tried to control the damage, claiming that everything is fine between the leadership and the MLA.

Despite repeated attempts, the Jankapuri MLA could not be contacted. His office said, Mr Raj has been away since morning. Party sources indicated that ticket distribution in the MCD polls could be the reason behind Mr Raj’s outburst.

AAP’s Bawana MLA had quit the party early this week, launching on attack on the Delhi government. He was also learnt to have been upset with the party over ticket distribution. The AAP has 65 MLAs in the 70-member Assembly.

Mr Raj was in news after his brother was arrested for assaulting a woman last month. Interestingly, the party had fielded Mr Raj, along with other Poorvanchali MLAs, to take on Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari when the note ban was announced.

Apart from him, AAP women’s wing vice-president from Rohini Seema Kaushik joined Congress on Thursday.

Launching an attack on the AAP leadership, she said that the party is a den of corruption as there is no correlation between the words and deeds of the party. She added that because of the corruption of the top leadership of the AAP, genuine and committed workers were suffering.

Since AAP had stormed to power in 2015 by winning 67 of the 70 Assembly seats, the MCD elections are going to be the testing time for the party as the results would be referendum on the party’s twoyear-old performance in Delhi.