CHENNAI:The expulsion of Yogendra Yadav and Prasanth Bhushan from the Aam Admi Party may result in a split in the State unit of the party, which of late has been in the spotlight for its dynamic activism.
Volunteers of the party are already witnessing ripples in the State unit with three of the seven-member ad hoc committee, currently in-charge of the affairs of the party, putting in their papers. After M Lenin, a national council member of the party, recently claimed that the committee managing the party’s affairs in Tamil Nadu had been dissolved, a member of the ad hoc committee denied the claims. Things would be clear about the party’s future in the State after April 14, when Yadav and Bhushan organise ‘Swaraj Samwad’, a convention of the volunteers of AAP. “Those volunteers who joined AAP attracted by its ideology may chose to stick with Yadav and Bhushan. Those who are attracted by Kejriwal will stay on. But it’s not true that those attending the meeting will be perceived as involving in anti-party activity,” said a prominent worker.
However, given that the party had expelled those who were even seen along with Yadav and Bhushan, it was unlikely that the party high command would take a similar lenient view.
Christina Samy, who was the former convenor of TN unit of the party who resigned recently in protest, and David Barunkumar, former convenor of the campaign committee of the TN unit, were among those listed for the convention to be held in New Delhi on April 14.
Another worker said the general perception among the volunteers was that Kejriwal was interested only in Delhi and was not paying attention to the development of the party in other States. Incidentally, this was the same reason cited when a splinter group from the party formed Tamilaga Aam Admi Party in February. Recently, when about 50 cadre of the party were arrested and jailed for protesting at State Chief Minister’s residence, it was Yadav and Bhusan who were first to issue a statement seeking their immediate release.
“I do not believe attending this conference is an anti-party activity. I would like to just listen when their version of the events and their vision of how the core ideologies of the party, which is swaraj, can be actualised. Then I will decide which side I must take,” said a volunteer.
While AAP has not made much poll gains in the State yet, the developments in the party is being watched as members had taken up grass-root level issues in each locality, which in a few cases had forced other parties to follow them.