NEW DELHI: Following day-long political drama in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), its MLA Amanatullah Khan resigned from the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the party late on Monday evening. Earlier, a group of AAP leaders, including many legislators, had complained against Khan.
Sources said Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had ensured action against Amanatullah Khan — who had accused senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas of plotting a coup to take over the party’s top post.
Following the PAC meeting late on Monday evening, senior AAP leader and deputy CM Manish Sisodia said Okhla MLA Khan has resigned from the PAC and his resignation has been accepted by the party. He said all PAC members were angry and upset at the petty statements being issued by “some members” outside the party.
However, after the PAC meeting, Khan said, “I have resigned from the PAC, but I stand by my words. Kumar Vishwas is doing this on the behest of BJP. I have resigned because of my own conscience but I don’t regret what I said.”
Earlier, ahead of the committee meeting, Kejriwal met Sisodia at the latter’s residence. Sources said top leaders of the party, including Sanjay Singh, Dilip Pandey and Ashutosh, discussed infighting particularly after the poll debacles.
A source said Kejriwal was unhappy with the way Khan made the allegations after Vishwas called for deeper introspection in the party against the backdrop of the electoral drubbing in Punjab, Goa and Delhi.
The controversy erupted when Vishwas told news channels that he was open to discuss a change in the party leadership following the poll debacles.
Sources said that until evening, senior AAP leaders, including Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, tried to persuade Vishwas to attend the PAC meeting. However, he was adamant in not attending it.
An AAP insider said Vishwas wanted Khan out of the PAC. He said he will attend the PAC meeting only if Khan is removed.
Sources said about 35 AAP leaders, including many MLAs, had demanded action against Amanatullah for his statement.
The buzz in the political circles was that some AAP MLAs might leave the party and join the BJP in the coming days and the speculation has become stronger after the defeat of the party in the MCD polls. Only a few days before the MCD polls, AAP MLA Ved Prakash had joined the BJP and had claimed that others would follow suit.
The Delhi CM, who is facing flak after recent electoral losses, has ordered MLAs to stop airing anti-party views in the media.