In the face of growing dissent and criticism over its performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday decided to go in for “Mission Vistaar” (expansion), which will involve political restructuring and fresh elections at all levels of the organisation, including in the States.
Announcing this at the end of the three-day meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said, “AAP’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) will be reformed in our ‘Mission Vistaar.’ New members will also join the party in the coming days.” He was flanked by party colleagues Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan and Manish Sisodia.
Amid talks of a rift within the party and lack of inner democracy, Mr. Kejriwal said the party would be overhauled as committees from booth to the national level would be reconstituted through elections. Even the national convener would be re-elected. For this the party’s constitution would be amended. The restructuring panel is to be headed by Prithvi Reddy of the Karnataka unit.
Mr. Kejriwal announced the names of 25 party members who will be special invitees to the national executive meetings till organisational elections are held. Among them are Dharam Vir Gandhi, Bhagwant Mann, Harinder Singh Khalsa, Sadhu Singh (all AAP MPs), Rajmohan Gandhi and Ashish Khetan.