AAP legislator quits due to 'double standards', 'autocratic functioning'

In a fresh jolt to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, yet another MLA, this time Baldev Singh, resigned from the party's primary membership on Wednesday, citing "autocratic functioning", "double standards" and disregard for its basic ideology and principles.

A sitting legislator from the Jaito Assembly seat, he sent his resignation to his party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday.

"I am pained to forward my resignation from the primary membership of AAP because the party has completely given up its basic ideology and principles," Singh wrote in his resignation letter.

Earlier, citing the "dictatorial attitude" of Kejriwal, MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who was suspended from the party for "anti-party activities" last November, had on January 6 also resigned from the party's primary membership.

Lawyer-activist HS Phoolka has also quit the primary membership after resigning from the Punjab Assembly. He was the AAP MLA from the Dakha Assembly seat.

"The arrogant and overconfident attitude of the party hierarchy led to a crushing defeat of AAP in Punjab in the 2017 assembly elections. Learning no lesson to fix accountability you never bothered to look into the reasons of this humiliating defeat and have once again handed over the reins of Punjab to cunning leaders like Durgesh Pathak," Phoolka said.

He said the people of Punjab were deeply shocked when Kejriwal unceremoniously and undemocratically removed an honest Sukhpal Singh Khaira from the post of Leader of Opposition, without taking Punjab MLAs into confidence.

"As a result of your dictatorial, arrogant and autocratic style of functioning, pioneers of AAP like Parashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav, Medha Patekar, Kiran Bedi, Dr. Gandhi, H.S.Khalsa, Sucha Singh Chottepur, Gurpreet Ghuggi, Ashish Khetan, Ashutosh, AH.S.Phoolka etc. have all left the party or have been thrown out in a humiliating manner," he said.

Singh said that AAP was being "portrayed in the same category of rampantly corrupt traditional parties like the Congress, BJP, SAD etc."

Khaira had also accused the national leadership of AAP of his exit from the party. He has floated a new political party - Punjabi Ekta Party.