More people will quit AAP soon: Rebel MLA

“When the ship is sinking, many want to abandon it,” remarked Bijwasan legislator Devinder Sherawat, alluding the sinking ship to the Aam Aadmi Party. Speaking to this newspaper, he asserted that many other people, who still have principles left within them, will soon leave the party. Mr Sehrawat was on Monday suspended by the AAP from its primary membership after he accused party men in Punjab of exploiting women in return for tickets.

Terming his suspension as “politically good for him,” Mr Sehrawat said that he will focus on the development work in his Assembly constituency, which is a rural belt of the city. “We are often referred as Binny ( dissident AAP MLA Vinod Binny, who was expelled in 2014). But the situation can reverse if the number of people who match our determination increase,” he said hinting at a growing rebellion within the party.

He added that just like the media was unable to predict the stellar rise of the AAP, it is not being able to gauge its deterioration. “The AAP is no more a strong force. The party’s image has slowly degraded among auto wallahs, jhuggi clusters, farmers and other sectors who formed the major vote bank for it during the Delhi Assembly Election. I spoke to the farmer leaders in Punjab, who had pledged their allegiance to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, are now skeptical after the party’s scandals were exposed,” he said.

He negated that he waited for the opportune moment to launch allegations on Mr Kejriwal and other leaders. “I have written about eight letters to the AAP chief in the last eight months raising sensitive matters. These include land grabbing allegations against his personal staff,” he said.