CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal told Punjab AAP MLAs on February 11 to stay united and requested them to work among the public.
He also said that winning the 2027 assembly elections is the target of the party.
Kejriwal will likely spend most of his time in Punjab.
The meeting took place with all the party’s legislators, ministers and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann at Kapurthala House in Delhi amid rumours that there is a dissent within the party following the election debacle in the national capital.
Sources said that Kejriwal wanted the party to be unified and work for the people after learning about their aspirations. Kejriwal is also said to have urged the party workers to work hard to ensure that the AAP returns to power in Punjab in 2027.
"We were asked to be a formidable force and stay united. Also, he told us to be among the public and know about their aspirations and try to fulfill them,’’ said a source who attended the meeting.
"We were told that if the officers do not listen to us we should bring things to their notice,’’ he added.
A leader on condition of anonymity said that the party legislators were told that winning the 2027 assembly elections is the most important task and things that needed to be done to achieve that should be discussed with him (Kejriwal).
Sources further pointed out that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann told the party MLAs that all the promises made to the public will be fulfilled.
He also added that victory and defeat are two sides of the same coin. In 2012, when he lost the polls he thought it was end of the world. However, he said that he again contested the elections and became MP twice and now he is the chief minister.
Given that Punjab is the only state under AAP’s rule, the discussions and decisions from the meeting could significantly impact the party’s direction and stability.
