EXCLUSIVE: Expelled AAP Leaders’ Silent Warning to Kejriwal

AAP may have expelled four leaders. But that has not stopped the leaders from sounding a warning to Arvind Kejriwal.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has put an end to all the dissidence and rancour that had plagued it the last few weeks. Leaders - Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Professor Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha - who had been accused of upsetting the party’s balance, have been expelled.

The party and its Czar, Arvind Kejriwal, can finally breathe easy.

Or so they think.

In an exclusive interview to The Quint, expelled leader Ajit Jha has sounded a warning to Kejriwal and his coterie of men on behalf of the rebel leaders that the political battle has not ended - it has just begun.

And it is a warning that Kejriwal needs to take seriously.

Stiff Competition Awaits AAP

The rebel leaders who have been expelled appear unfazed, perhaps because they saw it coming.

The party had decided on the April 14 convention itself that they would expel us. This expulsion has made no difference because it has been obvious since a long time now. AAP has been trying to intimidate the leaders and volunteers, but they can’t intimidate us. We are now focusing on the Swaraj Abhiyan and we enjoy the support of thousands of volunteers
– Ajit Jha, Expelled AAP Leader to The Quint

The four rebel leaders are now putting their heads together to provide form and structure to the newly constituted Swaraj Abhiyan, which they say will assume a more concrete structure within the next two months.

And subtle as it is, they have sounded the battle cry.

Let us see just how many members AAP will expel. Will they expel thousands like us? We know that thousands of members and volunteers are on our side and fully support the Swaraj Abhiyan. These are people who are more than willing to partner with us.
– Ajit Jha, on the support that they enjoy

Even as the Swaraj Abhiyan has been declared an outfit representing “alternative politics,” it bears great resemblance to the Aam Aadmi Party, fundamentally. Yet, the founding members of the Swaraj Abhiyan are careful to not repeat the “errors” that Kejriwal has made and make their outfit an “undemocratic” one.

When AAP came into existence, it was a movement that resulted in the formation of the party. But we will not make the mistake of contesting elections for the sake of it. We are aiming at uniting people on the basis of fundamental similarities and not by crying hoarse on issues of Janlokpal, bijli and paani.
– Ajit Jha, on doing things differently from AAP

The Beginning of the End

Contrary to popular belief, the differences between the dissidents and the Aam Aadmi Party assumed form, even before the formation of the party in 2012.

Problems began before the formation of the party. People had a difference of opinion, but we thought that nobody - and especially not Arvind - would expect us to change our very DNA. We continued working for the party with that thought in mind.

While Arvind has great leadership qualities, he expected us to not have a mind of our own. And the fact that we had our own opinions, had him thrown. He miscalculated things grossly. He expected Yogendra to defend him in front of the media and Prashant to keep fighting the party’s battles in court. He could not digest the fact that people can take their principles so seriously.
– Ajit Jha, on the tumult within AAP

While Kejriwal had begun on an idealistic note, AAP’s midnight notice to the four leaders has put an end to an entity that the people had reposed their faith in.

Hell may have no fury like Yadav and Bhushan scorned.

Meanwhile, Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan had this to say: