Chandigarh MC poll: Rift out in open in AAP over nominee list

A day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced its first list of 26 candidates for the municipal corporation (MC) polls, internal party fissures burst out in the open.

Several of the party office-bearers and workers voiced opposition to the party’s decisions and some even said they would stand as rebel candidates in the elections.

Some party workers even burnt the effigies of convener Prem Garg, party co-in-charge Pardeep Chhabra, party in-charge Jarnail Singh and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in Sector 25.

On Monday late night, the party announced the name of its 26 candidates out of the total 35 MC wards.

Stating that he was kept out of the process of selection of candidates, party’s election campaign in-charge Chandermukhi Sharma said, “There is a lot of opposition to the party’s decision on candidate selection. Party workers met me all day on Tuesday expressing their anger at the local leadership ignoring merit and opting to go for their own loyalists. I could only tell them that I was not consulted on the matter.”

Last evening, Jarnail Singh had rushed to Sharma’s house to bring him on board but Sharma stuck to his guns.

The party is struggling with factionalism as four different groups have emerged under Garg, Chhabra, Sharma and former MP Harmohan Dhawan.

The anger has been brewing in the party for some time now but has come out in the open only after the announcement of party tickets. The long-time party workers have been not happy with the recent joinees from the Congress getting a bigger role in the party affairs.

A large number of Congress leaders joined the party after former Congress city president Chhabra joined the party in August this year. In the candidature list also on a number of seats recent Congress joinees have been preferred over older AAP members.

Sahil Chawar, founder member of the party in the city and youth state general secretary, said, “It is disappointing that loyal party workers have been ignored and tickets have been given to the recent joinees from the BJP and the Congress. For the last more than 10 years, I have dedicatedly worked for the party but this is what we have received in return.”

Another founder member of the party in the city and party’s vice-president Yogesh Arora Soni said, “By ignoring merit in candidate selection, the party is inflicting self-damage. It can cost it the election also. But being a loyal party worker, I will stick to the party.”

Stating that candidates are being para-dropped, party’s vice-president Sanjeev Kochhar said, “I have decided to contest the MC elections from Ward number 32 as an Independent candidate and will be filing my nomination papers in a couple of days.”

Chawar said after consulting his supporters he would file nomination as an Independent candidate from Ward number 4.

Responding to criticism, Garg, said, “Delhi appointed observers covering all the wards. On recommendations party had to choose one candidate out of two. So, some dedicated workers also had to be left out. We respect workers right to protest.”

Contest elections, Kejriwal tells senior leaders

In a bid to curb factionalism in the party, AAP supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday night asked leaders of all four factions in the party to contest the election themselves. Garg, who received a call from Kejriwal, said, “He has asked all senior leaders of the party to contest the elections. We will hold a meeting in this regard on Wednesday and decide on the matter.”

This is expected to bring supporters of all factions to work together and quell centripetal forces in the party.

Previously, Garg, Chhabra, Sharma and Dhawan’s son Bikram Dhawan (party’s senior vice-president) had all decided against standing in the elections.