Arvind Kejriwal gets into damage control after bitter infighting

New Delhi, Jun 7: With the Aam Aadmi Party (

) mired in bitter infighting, party chief

on Saturday attempted to reach out to the dissidents, saying Yogendra Yadav had raised important issues which needed to be sorted out. He also said that efforts will be made to bring back Shazia Ilmi into the party as top leaders met today to chalk out the future course of action, including preparations for the next Delhi assembly polls.

"Yog(endra) Yadav has raised some imp (sic) issues. All of us will work on it," Kejriwal tweeted.

"Yog yadav is a v dear friend and a v valued colleague. Had long discussion with him...," he said in another tweet.

A third tweet of Kejriwal said: "We will also try to get Shazia back." Ilmi and Yadav, known to be a key strategist, have been sharply critical of Kejriwal after the party's debacle in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

[Read: Yogendra Yadav: There is difference between a Leader and a Supremo]

Yadav, who quit from Political Affairs Committee, had charged the party with "falling prey to personality cult" while Ilmi had alleged that Kejriwal was surrounded by a coterie and that the party lacked internal democracy.

Kejriwal's close aide Manish Sisodia had hit back at Yadav accusing him of targeting Kejriwal and making internal matters public. According to sources, resignations of leaders will be discussed at the AAP's National Executive Meet and they will also try to convince Ilmi to rejoin the party.

There were indications that the Political Affairs Committee might be expanded to accommodate more members. The fledgling party had made a stunning debut in the Delhi Assembly polls in December by winning 28 out of 70 seats and even formed a government. But Kejriwal quit as the chief minister after 49 days on the issue of Janlokpal Bill.

The party fought the Lok Sabha elections but could not win a single seat in the capital following which Kejriwal and his close associates have come under attack. The AAP leader has also drawn flak after failed attempt to form government again and his initial refusal to submit a bond in a defamation case filed against him by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari, which led to his going to jail.

PTI