Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan float new party; to contest municipal polls

Swaraj Abhiyan leaders Prashant Bhushan, Shanti Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav at a press conference after the launch of their new political party “Swaraj India” in New Delhi on Sunday. (Photo: PTI)

Launching a new political outfit “Swaraj India”, former Aam Aadmi Party leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan on Sunday announced that the outfit will contest the civic polls next year. The leaders, however, said that they would skip contesting the Punjab elections next year but will “vehemently” support an alternative option in the state. With the development, the national capital will witness a quadrangular contest in the MCD elections for the first time.

The AAP had earlier announced its intent to contest the civic polls due next year and has started preparations for the same. With Swaraj India foraying into politics, the MCD elections will be an interesting contest among the BJP, which controls the corporations at present, the Congress which is trying its best to regain its lost ground, the AAP and Swaraj India — which will make their debut in the civic polls. The polls are held to elect 272 councillors for the three corporations.

Mr Yadav, who is the president of the new political entity, slammed the AAP and CM Arvind Kejriwal for “betraying” not just his party, but the people as well. “We will provide a transparent and an accountable alternative to the people who were left disillusi-oned by the AAP. The party will not resort to cult politics and will follow in-ternal democracy. We will provide ample space for ri-ght to expression,” he said.

Mr Yadav asserted that the party will provide a dependable alternative by abolishing the “whip system” and restricting it to the no-confidence motion. “We will bring a new experiment by party functionaries and people to decide the distribution of tickets rather than indulging in buying or selling of election tickets,” he said, adding that the outfit will be the first to be covered by the RTI Act.

Swaraj Abhiyan, the non-political outfit, will continue as a separate entity. It was floated by the duo after their expulsion from the AAP in April last year. The entity will provide a non-electoral forum for the people who do not wish to be associated with the political entity and will be led by Mr Bhushan.

Swaraj Abhiyan in the last 15 months has campaigned for various issues, including drought, land acquisition act and corruption. “Now that we are a political party, it is not that we will contest every election. Politics in Punjab is very fluid and the need of the hour is to defeat the Badal government, which is the most hated organisation in the country. We will support (suspended AAP MP) Dharamvira Gandhi, who has already announced a front. We will be contesting the MCD polls,” Mr Yadav said.