Disappointed by the “suspicious” turn of events within the party, the Aam Aadmi Party's convenor in Mira Bhaynder (Thane) has quit the faction accusing it of “not taking into account the feelings of local volunteers while deciding the candidates” for the general elections.
In her resignation letter, Allahabad-based RTI activist Saumya Bahadur questioned the manner of selection of candidates, in particular the party's choice in Phulpur. The AAP has picked a lesser known Shimla Sree as its candidate for the seat.
Ms. Bahadur accused Ms. Sree and her husband of hindering the party's work in the district over the past year and acting “with the sole motive of getting a ticket.”
“The AAP Allahaabd team went to Delhi to point out how her husband was manipulating the local team to get her a ticket. But they were not heard and despite hundreds of mails written by other candidates, she got the ticket,” Ms. Bahadur told The Hindu.
Ms. Bahadur argues that party overlooked prominent social workers like national executive member Prem Singh Pahadi, doctors Alok Mishra and Nilind Mukherjee to award Ms. Sree the ticket.
Ms. Bahadur, who has been part of the IAC movement since August 2011 and volunteered in Delhi, Allahabad and Mumbai, alleged that that it seemed that “people had joined the party only to get tickets” and questioned the criterion behind ticket allotment.
“Most of the high profile candidates had already been declared so why all this drama of getting nominations from those seats," she asked.
While alleging that the party had diverted from its original principles, she alleged that in Allahabad the party even “organised events on paper” and later submitted press releases to the media for coverage.
“The party is functioning in a suspicious manner and the whims of the PAC are imposed on the workers,” she said, while accusing the party of ignoring its workers when they required legal help in unearthing anamolies in connection to the functioning of other parties and government agencies.
Levelling allegations at her former party she said in her letter: "We are cheating people, they are donating to us thinking that their children will see a better future but some mean people are manipulating things from inside." Ms. Bahadur clarified that she did not seek a ticket from the party.
