The arrest of Arvind Kejriwal has become a strategic weapon for Aam Aadmi Party at a time when its volunteers are angry and disappointed with the party high command over its style of functioning particularly during the Lok Sabha polls.
As it was evident during the AAP workers meeting on Friday the party leadership made the most use of Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest in dissipating workers’ anger and postponing their demands for bringing more internal democracy in the functioning of the party.
During review meetings after the Lok Sabha polls a number of AAP MLAs and cadre expressed their frustration at the party leadership for alienating grassroots workers and taking all the critical decisions without taking their opinion.
The workers had blamed the party high command for its dismal performance and accused it of being cavalier in contesting more than 400 seats and ignoring its home turf of Delhi. When the chorus for bringing internal democracy in the functioning of the party had grown very strong the party had assured its MLAs that it will organise a meeting of all the workers of Delhi and restructure its organisational set up.
But when the meeting happened senior AAP leaders appealed to its cadres to subside their anger with the party leadership and instead work to ensure Mr. Kejriwal’s release. “I know that you are angry but I would appeal you to forget your anger and work for Mr. Kejriwal’s release,” appealed senior party leader Gopal Rai.
When AAP leader Manish Sisodia read Mr. Kejriwal’s emotional letter from Tihar jail a larger section of the cadres present in the meeting was charged but some of them were in no mood to suppress their anger, demanding leaders be made to take the responsibility of party’s defeat.
When AAP leader Dilip Pandey was addressing the jam packed hall, several voices tried to make themselves heard demanding that party do away with centralised decision making. Then some of the workers shouted “disband the Political Affairs Committee and the National Executive”, the two decision making bodies in the AAP.
“Haar ki zimmedaari koun lega (who will take responsibility of defeat),” said another slogan from the back rows of the hall. In the meantime, AAP leaders’ speeches saw several disruptions when few workers started displaying posters which said, “take workers’ views in decision making process”, “Disband PAC and National executive”. Amid commotion the party leaders had to calm the cadres assuring that the party organisation is being restructured.
