Withdraw candidates from Jalandhar or face stiff opposition: AAP rebels

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 9

Members of the dissident or rebel group of leaders and volunteers of the Aam Aadmi Party gave an ultimatum to the party to withdraw the candidature of three newly announced candidates of the party from Jalandhar, failing which the party would face stiff opposition from them.

The dissident group, which started its protest outside the Press Club in Jalandhar, in opposition to Raghav Chadha days ago, today met at the party’s Urban Estate office. The meeting saw the presence of around 250 rebel members or volunteers of the party. Both Dr Shiv Dyal Mali, and Dr Sharma are the state spokespersons of the party and both Dr Sharma and Kartar Pehalwaan are the members of the core committee of the party.

The stiffest opposition among the dissidents is against the declaration of the candidature of several new leaders. They also opposed the candidature of Dinesh Dhal who had just been declared candidate from Jalandhar North in the party’s newly released list today.

The other two key seats’ candidatures to which the leaders have expressed opposition include - former BJP leader Sheetal Angural who was declared candidate from Jalandhar West and Raman Arora who was declared candidate from Jalandhar Central.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Shiv Dyal Mali said, “We criticise the beating up of volunteers by party henchmen. We also oppose the candidature of people who have been chosen just days ago by the party sidelining leaders who had been working for ages. Unless the party withdraws their candidature, we will continue and intensify our opposition.”

Dr Sanjeev Sharma who was earlier Covid positive and came out of quarantine only today, said, “I had been offering steadfast support to the AAP up until the Tiranga Yatra held by convenor Arvind Kejriwal in Jalandhar a few days ago. But the party right ahead of the elections has fielded such candidates who go against the party tenets and ideology. Our protest against the party will continue until the candidates are withdrawn.”

Ironically, while the office is a property of AAP leader Dr Sanjeev Sharma, it still bore a board with Arvind Kejriwal’s picture on it. The office, which was also in use as a ‘Kisan Office’ during Dr Sharma’s and Dr. Mali’s support to the Kisan Andolan, still bears the name. Dr Sharma said during the Andolan, kisan leaders and those offering support to the farmers movement were free to use the office. The rebel group said they were also open to reaching out to members of the farmers groups ahead of the polls in the state.