Yogendra Yadav, Bhushan "likely" to launch political party soon

Delhi: Expelled AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan are planning to launch a political party and may field candidates for the 2017 Punjab assembly election, at a time when Arvind Kejriwal is pulling out all stops to ensure victory in the state.

Swaraj Abhiyan, a group formed by the duo and their supporters after their expulsion from the AAP, said they are “seriously thinking” about contesting the assembly elections in Punjab.

“We intend to launch a political party soon, but no date has been fixed. But yes, we are seriously thinking about contesting Punjab polls,” a senior Swaraj Abhiyan leader said. Meanwhile, the party has said it will “back” musician Bhai Baldeep Singh in the Khadoor Sahib Assembly bypoll next month.

“Swaraj Abhiyan is currently a non-political organisation and we don’t hope to launch the party by next month. Bhai Baldeep Singh will contest as an Independent and will be backed by Swaraj Abhiyan. We will be putting all our weight behind him,” he said.

Bhai Baldeep Singh, who is also a part of the national executive of the organisation, said, “Swaraj Abhiyan’s support is crucial for the polls.” Yadav and other Abhiyan leaders are also expected to campaign for Singh next month.

The decision to support Singh was taken on Sunday. He had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls on the AAP ticket from Khadoor Sahib, but had lost. (PTI)