Kejriwal for AAP restructuring, rejects Yadav’s resignation

New Delhi, June 7 :

A day after a deep divide between AAP’s top leaders came to the fore, its chief Arvind Kejriwal Saturday admitted it needed “restructuring” and said the “differences” had been resolved.

The party, on the second day of its national executive meet here, rejected the resignation of Naveen Jaihind and Yogendra Yadav who written a letter saying it has “fallen prey to the personality cult”.

The resignation of Shazia Ilmi, who quit the party last month over it being run by a “crony clique”, was also not accepted.

“All things are going smooth and differences are resolved. We are discussing organisational structure. Expansion of PAC could be possible,” Kejriwal said here.

Political Affairs Committee is AAP’s highest decision-making body.

Besides describing Yadav as a “valued colleague,” AAP convener Kejriwal said the party “will try to get Shazia back”.

“Yogendra Yadav has raised some important issues. All of us will work on it,” Kejriwal tweeted after meeting Yadav on the sidelines of the meet.

“Yogendra Yadav is a very dear friend and a very valued colleague. Had long discussions with him…,” he added.

Another party leader Manish Sisodia told IANS: “This was cleansing process. Discords are bound to happen in any party. Everything is fine now.”

“I never had anything against Yadav. It were just some points raised by him to which I did not agree,” Sisodia told IANS.

In response to Yadav’s letter, Sisodia had written a stinging letter, accusing the psephologist of “finishing off Kejriwal”.

Talking to reporters, Yadav said: “The day I resigned, my party leaders wanted me to withdraw the resignation, but I said issues should be discussed. All these issues were related to the party, volunteers and its well wishers.”

“I am happy that these issues were given importance,” Yadav added.

The 19-month-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was enveloped in its worst crisis Friday as two of its top leaders — Sisodia and Yadav — traded charges against each other.

Of some 440 seats it contested in the Lok Sabha election, the AAP won only four, all in Punjab. It suffered a setback in Delhi, its pocket borough, by failing to win even a single seat.

(IANS)