Swaraj Abhiyaan splits to form Swaraj Party

While Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress Party is busy wooing voters in Punjab, a new party was announced on Sunday – Swaraj Party. Officials of Yogendra Yadav-led Swaraj Abhiyaan (SA) in Punjab had unanimously decided to form a political party that too without consent of the central body.

SA clarified to media, “Since the decision by the Punjab colleagues does not follow this process [the democratic process of internal elections], we are unable to own or endorse it.” However, the SA also added that Punjab needs an alternative politics “to get rid of Akali-BJP misrule”, and that Aam Aadmi Party and Congress are incompetent. In a strategic manner Yadav’s SA said it wishes that the proposed party that has been formed by its breakaway members may fill the gap.

Confirming the split, Anupam Kumar, media coordinator of Swaraj Abhiyaan, told Newslaundry, “Most of them are members of Swaraj Abhiyaan.” However Kumar didn’t reply on whether two suspended AAP MPs Harinder Singh Khalsa and Dharamvira Gandhi, who were considered close to Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, have also joined the new outfit.

Interestingly, Yogendra Yadav on different platforms have rejected AAP’s model of politics citing different grounds including internal democracy. But he failed to stop this split in the organisation even before the internal elections. SA had recently lost its maiden elections during the Delhi civic body by-polls.