They were given choice to quit, they insisted vote us out

Sources said that Kumar Vishwas not only chaired the national executive meeting but was also the chief intermediary between the two sides.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s national executive meeting on Wednesday, which saw Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav removed from the political affairs committee, had until then seen many proposals and counter-proposals put forth by the two factions. One side believed that Yadav and Bhushan should have been removed from the PAC for “acting against the party in the run-up to the Delhi elections”; the other countered that the issues raised by the two were “institutional”. Eventually, a motion for their removal from the PAC was passed by an 11-to-8 majority .

Sources said that Kumar Vishwas not only chaired the national executive meeting but was also the chief intermediary between the two sides . It was first conveyed to Yadav and Bhushan that their position in the political affairs committee had become untenable, and both should resign, but they would be given other responsibilities to minimise the perception that they were being sidelined. “This however was not acceptable to them, and they reiterated that they had raised issues serious for the party. They said that if they were to be removed, it would have to be by a vote,” a senior leader said.

Those in favour of Bhushan and Yadav continuing, however, then submitted two options for a resolution. “One was that the entire PAC be reconstituted, and that Yadav and Bhushan would opt out of the running.

The second was that the members of the national executive present names they thought were acceptable for the PAC, and a ballot system be used,” a senior leader said.

There was also the option that the PAC continue as it is with Yadav and Bhushan staying away. “There were many formulas put forward after an effort was made that an acceptable decision be thrashed out,” a source said.

Sources said that a break in the meeting took place and Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and others conferred with the Delhi team. “A call where Arvind Kejriwal too was consulted was taken, however — that the formula put before them was not acceptable. Sisodia emerged and announced a resolution that the two should be removed from the PAC because they had interfered in the working of the DECG, and the PAC had lost faith in them. The vote then took place,” a senior leader said.

Supporters of the ouster said the removal from the PAC was inevitable because of the “level of acrimony”. “They were raising problems with candidates even though they were not connected to the Delhi campaign, and pretended that they were the only ones with a moral centre. There were times where the Delhi leadership, which was fighting an election under Kejriwal, was more afraid of what acrimony the next day would bring from within the party than outside. It was not possible that no action would be taken,” a leader said.

AAP leaders also told The Indian Express that one major clash was over whether the party could go national. “Kejriwal is of the opinion that the party has to concentrate in Delhi . There is an apprehension that Yadav is of the view that the party must grow nationally. Kejriwal therefore wanted a situation where he remains national convener and tells his troops to stay in Delhi, and take a measured call on other elections,” a source said.

Source:: Indian Express