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AAP in damage control mode
Ananya Panda
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 7
As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today went into a damage control mode, party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal reached out to the dissidents — Yogendra Yadav and Shazia Ilmi — and acknowledged Yadav’s concerns, asserting that “differences have been ironed out”.

The party has unanimously rejected the resignations in its discussion. Both Yogendra Yadav and Naveen Jaihind retain their party posts. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said that the party would now focus on organisational restructuring, cadre building and expansion of political affairs committee (PAC).

Apart from strengthening its network, AAP would concentrate on the Delhi Assembly elections, said Kejriwal. “Yogendra Yadav is a very dear friend and a very valued colleague. Had long discussion with him…. Yog Yadav has raised some important issues. All of us will work on it,” tweeted Kejriwal.

He also reached out to Shazia Ilmi, who is in the US, in an attempt to convince her to return to the party fold.

“We will also try to get Shazia back,” he tweeted before the crucial AAP national executive committee (NEC) meet. Prior to the NEC meet, it is being said that Prashant Bhushan acted as a peace broker between Kejriwal and Yogendra Yadav. “They are sensible people and all the misunderstandings have been cleared. Yogendra has agreed to withdraw his resignation. We will try to contact Shazia Ilmi when she is back from abroad,” Bhushan told The Tribune.

“There have been some differences but everybody was unanimous in opinion that resignations should be rejected. The issues raised by Yogendra Yadav were discussed. We hope Shazia will withdraw,” he said.

Dismissing comments from opponents regarding the AAP’s collapse, NEC member Prof Anand Kumar maintained: “It is a young party which is learning to institutionalise a system of challenge. The resolution of conflict has happened and the party is united under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal.”