Voice stifled: Arvind Kejriwal’s threat to quit did the trick

New Delhi: Besides Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, the party also expelled two other founder leaders, Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha.

The fate of the rebels was sealed when AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in his opening speech, asked the 311-odd members of the executive to either choose him or the duo and threatened to quit. He also alleged that Yadav and Bhushan, the founder members, were trying to “weaken the party and indulge in backstabbing.”

Sources said he accused the rebels of “working for the defeat of the AAP in the Delhi elections mainly to get rid of me.”

Bhushan later alleged that violence against the dissident leaders began after Kejriwal’s speech.

Kejriwal left promptly after making the emotional speech without voting, only to return later when the national council authorised the PAC to initiate action against any member who had the tarnished party’s image. After his departure, deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia moved the resolution for the expulsion of the four dissident leaders. The party claimed that 247 members voted in favour while 10 voted against. 54 members abstained.

The resolution which was moved by Sisodia was already signed by 167 members. The party claimed all those who abstained included Bhushan, Yadav and their supporters, who had walked out of the meeting without voting.

Describing the voting as a “total conspiracy”, Bhushan said he was looking at legal options to challenge their expulsion. “[It was] carried out in an unconstitutional manner. They had come prepared to kick us out. There was no discussion on the resolution, no secret voting and no distinction was made between those who are eligible to vote and those who don’t,” he alleged.

The national council meeting ended virtually in blows and chaos. Bhushan also charged that some of their supporters were “beaten up by goons brought by the party.”

High drama played out at the beginning of the meeting. Before the meeting commenced, Yadav sat on a dharna outside the venue for nearly an hour, alleging that some NC members opposed to the Kejriwal camp were not being allowed inside.

Outside the venue, after they walked out of the meeting, the rebels began their attacks on Mr Kejriwal and his team.

At a press conference later, Yadav and Mr Bhushan revealed that the AAP’s Lokpal, Admiral Ramdas (Retd), who has been attending the party’s NC meets, was asked by the AAP leadership on Friday evening not to stay away as his presence could result in a “confrontation” and that his term has expired, which can only be renewed in the next national executive meet.

Before the meeting, Yadav made public a letter, written by Adm. Ramdas to the party leadership, in which the former Navy Chief expressed surprise over the party asking him not to attend the meet.