AAP trouble likely to blow over as Kejriwal rushes to pacify Vishwas
NEW DELHI — Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP ( Aam Aadmi Party ) lurched into another, highly avoidable crisis on Monday.
Kumar Vishwas is a founding member of the party, and was close to Kejriwal once. He has accused the party leadership of conspiracy against him. Vishwas said it appeared that he has no option but quit the party he had helped to form.
Although Kumar Vishwas did not name, it was clear he had in mind the deputy chief minister of Delhi and Kejriwal’s confidante, Manish Sisodia. Soon after Kumar Vishwas announced his decision to quit, Sisodia said Vishwas was fomenting trouble by airing his opinions to the media instead of discussing it in party forums.
Vishwas had criticised the party finding a scapegoat in Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) for its poor performance in the recently held Delhi Municipal Elections. The AAP had fared badly in the assembly elections in the states of Punjab and Goa as well. Kejriwal had said the main reason for the party’s failure was the tampered machines.
Vishwas on Tuesday said the party had lost touch with people, and that instead of blaming machines, it must get its act together. He said, “Coterie politics is ruining the party.”
Late in the night, the situation turned yet again, as Kejriwal, watching live his teary-eyed former friend unburdening himself to the media, drove to Vishwas’s house. After a while, both emerged looking distraught. Kejriwal said he was taking Vishwas to his place for tea. Media men thought it was a bit late for tea as it was nearing midnight. Nevertheless the two got into Kejriwal’s car and left.
Vishwas reportedly told Kejriwal he is surrounded by Yes men. And that though he believed in the movement that the AAP represented, he did not appreciate being called a ‘traitor’. Last week, an AAP member of the legislative assembly, Amanatullah Khan, told a news channel that Vishwas was a “BJP man” and that he was out to wreck the party.
I have conveyed this to arvind, Manish (sisodia) and I reiterate it today that I don’t want to become chief minister, deputy chief minister, or AAP’s national convener, and I am not interested in joining any other political party Kumar Vishwas
Though the party had come hard on Khan for his comments, Vishwas said, “Khan is just a front. There are others behind this move to accuse me of false charges and isolate me. I have no career ambitions. But it’s becoming really hard to work within the party with any sense of purpose.”
He said top party leaders should rest assured. “I have conveyed this to Arvind, Manish (Sisodia) and I reiterate it today that I don’t want to become chief minister, deputy chief minister, or AAP’s national convener, and I am not interested in joining any other political party.”
On Tuesday, several AAP legislators had a separate meeting with Vishwas. Reportedly they requested him to stay back in the party and work for its future. It is not yet clear if Vishwas will indeed carry out his threat to quit the party. But a source close to Kejriwal said, the late tea session on Monday night had gone well, and that Vishwas is likely to be given a position commensurate to his worth. If so, the AAP would have weathered yet another storm. Observers believe it’s high time the AAP started delivering on governance.