292. AAP Punjab convener Chhotepur sacked?

IP Singh | TNN | May 11, 2015, 12.44 AM IST

JALANDHAR: In a major upheaval in Punjab unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), its state executive has recalled its state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur.

It is learnt that an emergency meeting of the state executive was held on Saturday in Delhi and a resolution recalling Chhotepur was passed and it was also sent to party convener Arvind Kejriwal requesting him to appoint a new convenor for Punjab.

Five out of eight members of the Punjab executive attended the meeting while Chhotepur, H S Phoolka and Dr Dharamvira Gandhi stayed away. MPs Harinder Singh Khalsa, Sadhu Singh, Bhagwant Mann (who attended through teleconference), Daljit Singh and Yamini Gomar took part in it.

Chhotepur told TOI that he was not aware of any such meeting or decision by the state executive. He said he had just attended a meeting with Arvind Kejriwal along with convenor from seven other states and there was no discussion about his removal. While the executive members are tight-lipped on the issue, sources in the party said the minutes of the meeting had already been sent to Kejriwal.

It is learnt that the members held that according to the constitution of the party meetings of the executive should be held twice in a month and after his appointment nine months ago Chhotepur should have convened 18 meetings till now but he did not call a single one and then stayed away from two meetings called by the members on March 14 and April 13.

The executive also held that state convener went ahead with indiscriminately inducting leaders from other parties without taking state executive or national executive into confidence as required by the party constitution. The state executive also accused him of encouraging indiscipline by openly supporting suspended members and for opening multiple offices without approval of the state executive and created parallel structure in the state unit.

The executive held that Chhotepur's working style was harming the party.

State executive committee coordinator Daljit Singh said he could not divulge details of the proceedings as it was an internal matter. MP Harinder Singh Khalsa said he was not authorized to divulge any details.

Even before this meeting, Chhotepur was facing isolation in the state executive which became clear after state disciplinary committee suspended two of his close aides, including a state organizing committee member, in April first week. After national spokesperson Sanjay Singh announced to reinstate the suspended members, state executive in its meeting on April 13 not only confirmed their suspension but also decided to keep in abeyance the joining of the leaders from other parties till approval by the state executive committee.

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