AAP MLA in ‘rebel’ panel

One of the members happens to be a sitting AAP MLA – Pankaj Pushkar who was elected from North Delhi’s Timarpur segment.

AAP MLA Pankaj Pushkar’s name figures in the National Working Committee of Swaraj Abhiyan, a political formation led by former AAP leader Yogendra Yadav. —File Photo

Expelled Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ideologue Yogendra Yadav-led political formation Swaraj Abhiyan, on Thursday, released a 29-member list of its National Working Committee.

Majority of those on the Committee were put at the helm of its affairs in the Capital. In a potentially controversial move, one of the members happens to be a sitting AAP MLA – Pankaj Pushkar who was elected to the Delhi Assembly from North Delhi’s Timarpur segment.

Four of the other members are Anupam Singh, a close aide of Mr. Yadav, professor Ajit Jha, who was expelled from the AAP after a recent and very public fallout, Saman Quereshi and Ahmed Faheem Khan.

Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, who was expelled along with Mr. Yadav in mid-April, has been made responsible for the formation’s affairs in Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Yadav would continue to further its activities in Haryana.

When contacted for his comment, Mr. Pushkar said he was aware of the development. “I know my name is on the list in addition to my functions and duties both as a member of the Swaraj Abhiyan as well as a sitting MLA,” Mr. Pushkar told The Hindu .

A senior AAP spokesperson said the party had ‘no objections’ pertaining to Mr. Pushkar’s inclusion in the list. “The Swaraj Abhiyan is a non-political formation; anyone and everyone is free to function on any of its committees,” the spokesperson said. Termed rebels at a meeting of the AAP’s National Executive held in mid-April, both Mr. Yadav and Mr. Bhushan – ideologues and founding members – had been expelled from the AAP in retaliation to what its disciplinary committee had termed ‘anti-party activities’.

The duo had, in reaction, launched the Swaraj Abhiyan which is, basically, a breakaway political formation of the AAP divorced from the former on the issue of alleged ‘lack of intra-party democracy’. Mr. Yadav had sent a scathing response to notices issued to him and Mr. Bhushan by the party comparing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejrwal’s style of functioning to that of a ‘Stalinist regime’.

Mr. Bhushan had responded by accusing the said disciplinary committee’s member Pankaj Gupta of accepting donations from ‘dubious companies’ and Delhi Dialogue Commission official and former journalist Ashish Khetan of doing a ‘paid news’ story.