Sukhpal Khaira made president of Punjab AAP rebels

Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 20

Dissident Aam Aadmi Party leader Sukhpal Khaira was made ad-hoc president the party’s rebel faction, the leader announced on Monday.

Khaira, whose frequent run-ins with his party leadership cost him the position of leader of opposition, announced boycott of AAP’s official Leader of Opposition Harpal Cheema’s meetings citing “rejection” of the latter by a people’s convention in Bathinda.

Surrounded by Members of Legislative Assembly who support him, Khaira announced several district convention programmes. When asked about a recent controversy sparked by Punjab Congress Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s recent visit to Pakistan, Khaira supported the minister saying a hug was merely a “Punjabi way” of greeting.

AAP dismissed Khaira as leader of opposition last month, sparking a rebellion within the party’s state ranks. Eight MLAs came out publicly in support of Khaira, pitting the camp against the party’s Punjab as well as national leadership.

On August 2, in an act of rebellion at Bathinda, a group of AAP legislators led by Khaira had declared the party's Punjab unit "autonomous" and "dissolved" its current organisational structure.

Later on Augist 7, Khaira’s rebel faction announced it was instituting an eight-member parallel ad-hoc PAC for the state.