Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav on Sunday launched a new political party called Swaraj India.
Mr. Bhushan announced in front of over 400 delegates from different States that Mr. Yadav had been unanimously elected as the party’s national president.
Ajit Jha will be the party’s national general secretary while Prof. Anand Kumar will be a mentor and advisor .
Noted lawyer and former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, who put the first signature on the list of the party’s founder members, expressed hope that Swaraj India would take on the divisive and corrupt political parties to bring real ‘swaraj’ in the country.
Mr. Prashant Bhushan said the decision to form the party was taken after ensuring principles of transparency, accountability and internal democracy in the organisation.
It was also decided that Swaraj Abhiyan, a socio-political body that Mr. Prashant Bhushan heads, will remain a non-electoral campaign organisation and continue working on public issues.
“Swaraj Abhiyan and Swaraj India will soon have separate executive bodies as well as people for their respective executive posts,” he said, adding: “Today, the founding values of our republic are under threat. Democracy, diversity and dialogue is under attack, ironically by the ones who are entrusted to safeguard these values. Sadly, there is no political force that has the vision and the will to take on this challenge.”
