More troubles for AAP in Punjab

Chandigarh, Aug 31: In fresh troubles for AAP, six of its zonal coordinators in Punjab passed a resolution demanding reinstatement of Sucha Singh Chhotepur, even as its disciplinary committee member Narinder Singh Walia today raised questions over ticket distribution.

AAP's Six parliamentary zonal coordinators passed a resolution yesterday in support of Chhotepur. The party has 13 zonal coordinators in the state.

The six in their resolution demanded Chhotepur be reinstated and others, including Sanjay Singh, Durgesh Pathak, and zonal observers, who had come from Delhi, called back.

They also demanded the 32 tickets distributed so far be reviewed. The zonal coordinators are Narinderpal Sharma Bhagta (Bathinda), Gurinder Bajwa (Amritsar), H S Cheema (Jalandhar), Amandeep Singh (Gurdaspur), Iqbal Singh (Khadoor Sahib) and Jasbir Dhaliwal (Anandpur Sahib). Walia alleged those who "did nothing" for the party were given preference in the ticket distribution rather than those who toiled for it.

"Leaders from Punjab should be given due weightage in the party and outsiders from Delhi should be asked not to meddle into the affairs of party in Punjab," he said. AAP, which had won four of 13 Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, had already suspended two of the four MPs.

Those suspended are Dharamvira Gandhi (Patiala) and Harinder Singh Khalsa (Fatehgarh Sahib). Not only the Chhotepur issue, in Amritsar a rebel group of AAP led by Manjit Singh Randhawa, who was earlier member of the Political Review Committee of AAP, had also announced they had rejected all the candidates announced so far. Randhawa had also said he had registered a political party called 'AAP Punjab'.

Walia today also claimed he was now member of 'AAP Punjab' Meanwhile, Punjab AAP's political affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh told reporters, "Chhotepur is a member of the party...he should act like a disciplined soldier...speaking against party by anyone is improper."

Chhotepur claimed he had been getting massive support from the volunteers and even people from abroad. Asked when he will resign from the party, Chhotepur said, "there is no need for that as things have gone too far now".

PTI