New Delhi, (PTI) Expelled AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav
and Prashant Bhushan today launched a new political outfit and
announced it will contest next year's Delhi civic polls but
not the Punjab Assembly elections.
Accusing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of betraying
the hopes of "aam aadmi", Yadav, who will be heading the new
party said, the new organisation would act as a force of
"alternate politics" and not resort to "cult politics".
"Now that we are a political party, it is not that we will
contest every election. Politics in Punjab is very fluid and
the need of the hour is to defeat the Badal government, which
is the most hated dispensation in the country.
"We will support (suspended AAP MP) Dharamvira Gandhi, who
has already announced a front. We will be contesting the MCD
polls, but a formal decision on this is yet to be taken," said
Yadav, who was elected as the President of the party.
Yadav said the new political party will voluntarily bring
itself under the ambit of RTI and not bind its lawmakers with
party whip unless in case of a no-confidence motion.
"The new party will not encourage personality cult. To
ensure federal structure in the party, state units would be
allowed to take decisions on contesting local polls.
"Unlike other parties there will be freedom of expression.
So, even if any member has a view contrary to the party’s
view, no action will be taken against him. We will have an
innovative and transparent candidate selection process," Yadav
said.
Taking a jibe at the Kejriwal government for its slogans
against the Centre, Yadav said "Hum kaam karte rahe, who
chugli karte rahe" (We kept on working and they kept on
backbiting).
In April last year, Bhushan and Yadav were sacked by AAP
for "anti-party activities" after they questioned Kejriwal's
style of functioning and "lack of transparency" and
"personality cult" in the party.
While Yadav would be heading the new political party,
Bhushan will be the convenor of Swaraj Abhiyan, an
organisation formed by the duo after their expulsion from AAP.
Bhushan said Swaraj Abhiyan (SA) will exist as a separate
entity and give an alternate platform to people who do not
wish to participate in electoral politics.
SA has been raising issues ranging from agrarian crisis to
corruption.
"In the coming months, we will try to ensure that officer
bearers of Swaraj Abhiyan and Swaraj India are not the same,"
Bhushan said.