Aap Rebels Yogendra,prashant Announce Non-Politicl Grp Swaraj Abhiyan

[timmy]

 

NEW DELHI:  Aam Aadmi Party rebels Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan today rallied their supporters and announced a separate group called the "Swaraj Abhiyan," pledging to work for alternative politics.

 

"The Swaraj Abhiyan will fight for the rights of farmers, women and common man across the country through protests and rallies," said a resolution passed at a day-long meeting that could portend the exit of Mr Yadav and Mr Bhushan from the party they founded with Arvind Kejriwal three years ago.

The two leaders held off on announcing a new political party, which had been the widely expected when they called the meeting dubbed "Swaraj Samvaad" or self-rule dialogue.

They said in a vote, nearly 70 per cent workers had favoured fighting for causes while staying in AAP, and 25 per cent had backed the option of forming a new party.

A party will eventually be formed, they said, but "after a struggle for Swaraj at the grassroots level for six months."

AAP has hinted at action against the rebels tomorrow.

"Swaraj Samvad is not a party function. The Political Affairs Committee and the National Executive will decide on what action needs to be taken," said senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh.

The party had last month sacked Mr Yadav and Mr Bhushan from all party posts but stopped short of expelling them.

"This isn't just Kejriwal's party. Yes he worked hard, but so did thousands of other people," Mr Bhushan said, addressing a gathering of some 4,000 volunteers believed to be disenchanted with the party.

"If we announce a political party today, it will be fraught with the same dangers that we see in the Aam Aadmi Party," said Mr Bhushan.

AAP accuses the two leaders of working against Mr Kejriwal and trying to undermine the party's campaign in the Delhi election, which ended with a record result for India's youngest party, and brought Mr Kejriwal back for a second term as Chief Minister.