punjab

Updated: Dec 11, 2016 19:33 IST

Accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of selling tickets to outsiders and tainted candidates, party rebel volunteers on Saturday decided to contest assembly polls on all 117 seats in Punjab against the AAP nominees.

“Earlier, we had decided to contest on 59 seats from where the AAP has fielded tainted and outsiders. But today, all volunteers were of the opinion that we should contest polls on all seats to expose the AAP and its claims of being an honest party,” said party rebel from Tarn Taran Harinder Singh Zira after a meeting of disgruntled AAP volunteers at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall here.

The volunteers also adopted a few resolutions in which it was decided to bring all disgruntled AAP leaders, except former party Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, to “guide” them. “Except Chhotepur, the volunteers’ front was united in inviting Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, Fatehgarh Sahib MP Harinder Singh Khalsa, Dr Daljit Singh, Jassi Jasraj, Karamjit Singh and all others to guide the front in exposing the double standards of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and his team in allotting tickets. The political affairs committee will visit all these leaders appealing them to join us,” said Zira.

Accusing the AAP leadership of corruption, party volunteer Amarjit Singh Khalsa said: “A few days before the ticket allotment, party’s Jalandhar zone observer Rajiv Chaudhary said ticket would be given to those who could spend Rs 2 crore in elections. This was the party’s ploy to give ticket to Chandan Grewal, who joined party a day before the ticket allotment.” However, Chaudhary denied the charges.

Some volunteers alleged that the party asked its candidates to shell out at least Rs 40 lakh each for showing achievements of the Delhi government through LED screens, posters and the hoardings.

“We had a notion that Kejriwal was not aware of the misdeeds of the party affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh and organisational head Durgesh Pathak, but now it is clear how all this is being done at the behest of the party chief, just to keep Punjabi leadership at bay,” said another volunteer Bharpur Singh.

Later, the volunteers burnt Kejriwal’s effigy..