New Delhi, August 13
Founder member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Shanti Bhushan today questioned party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal's organisational skills and criticised the party for the lack of internal democracy.

The party dismissed the charge as "misplaced".

"Arvind Kejriwal is a great leader and a great campaigner. But in my opinion, he lacks organisational ability. He does not have the kind of competence which can spread the message of the party all over India, which can quickly create elected structures of the party which nobody will be able to blame. Therefore, this delay of two years in getting the elected structures in place is a great handicap. This is resulting in different voices," Bhushan told a TV channel.

The senior party leader said: "Kejriwal should share the responsibility with someone who has enough time and talent for organisation work. The AAP convenor was not an elected leader and cannot claim to be the sole voice of the party," he said.

Bhushan said: "Kejriwal should not forget the principles on which AAP was formed. The future of the party is important. One crore people voted for us. Our aim is to restore good values in politics," he said.

He, however, said Kejriwal should remain the chief campaigner and the face of the party. Dismissing the charge, the party, in a statement, said Bhushan's criticism was misplaced. Bhushan was upset at the party's decision not to contest the Haryana Assembly elections, the party said.

Disputing the charge of lack of internal democracy, AAP clarified that the party was formed on the basic principle and "tries its best to adhere to it at all levels".