AAP has lost interest in governance: Yogendra Yadav

Yadav insisted that AAP's focus is outside and CM Arvind Kejriwal is using Delhi as a launchpad

Amid Delhi government's constant run-ins with the Centre, Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav on Wednesday launched a no-holds-barred attack on AAP, saying it has "minimum interest" in governing the capital and that it is using the city as a launch pad for greener pastures in other states.

Yadav, once a prominent AAP ideologue and now the President of the political outfit launched on October 2, insisted that AAP's "focus is outside" and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is using Delhi's "resources and visibility" to expand the footprint of his party, leaving citizens of the capital in the lurch.

The Swaraj India President, who was expelled from AAP for "anti-party" activities after he crossed swords with the leadership last year, was also critical of Kejriwal, AAP ministers and MLAs for "often being outside Delhi" at a time when the city was struggling to cope with the vector-borne diseases.

"The AAP government is using Delhi merely as a stepping stone. They basically want to use Delhi's resources, its visibility to step on to Punjab, Goa," Yadav told PTI in an interview.

Referring to the Delhi High Court judgement, which stamped primacy of the LG as the administrative head of the capital, Yadav said after the order, AAP has "lost all interest in

governing".

"So, from being party which was obsessed with Delhi, it has become a party which has less than minimum interest required left in the state where it governs. They seem to have made up their mind that there is no juice left in Delhi. So, make use of Delhi," Yadav said.

Attacking the AAP for its 'Delhi Model of Governance', Yadav said the "party is mindless in publicity" and often contradicts with its own claims.

"You cannot go and say two things at the same time. You cannot say I don't have the police and land and I cannot do anything and (then) you say we have transformed Delhi... This is Delhi Model of governance and everyone should replicate it.

"If they (the AAP) go and say that we are severely hampered, but in the limited things we can do, here is something we have done," Yadav said.

The new party has announced that it wants to contest MCD polls and claimed to have presence in 200 wards.

"We are actively considering (contesting) Delhi (MCD

polls). Some of the finest volunteers of the anti-corruption movement come from Delhi. Our largest volunteer base is from Delhi," Yadav said.

When asked about why is his party not contesting Punjab polls, he said his party does want to be a "vote-katva" (create division in votes).

"We are quite clear that we get into the game only and only if it seems to us that we are not there merely as spoiler. We don't want to fight elections merely because we don't want to cut somebody's votes. That's not our politics.

"Merely because we have formed a political party, it does not mean we will fight election everywhere," Yadav said, adding his outfit would back rebel AAP MP Dharamvira Gandhi's political front.

Attacking Kejriwal for his tweet that he cannot even buy a pen after the Delhi High Court order, Yadav claimed while saying this, the chief minister ordered buying of 600 fogging machines.

"If a man cannot buy a pen, then how can he buy 600 fogging machines. It's a game where there is minimal attention to governance. It's pure cynicism," Yadav said.

Referring to the outbreak of vector-borne diseases in Delhi, Yadav also attacked the BJP and the Centre.

"All the powers responsible for governance in the city have abdicated it. In Delhi, there is a complete lack of governance. Delhi government, LG office, DDA...There is no governance in Delhi right now.

"When the entire media was pointing out that Delhi's ministers were abroad, almost at that point, the North Delhi mayor from BJP was abroad. The sheer lethargy of BJP-led MCD is matched by the political cynicism of the AAP. So it's lethargy and indifference of one and cynicism and theatrical by the other.

"Delhi city stands at a point where it is desperately looking for an agenda for governance. Because the city has no governance. The governance in city is a joke," Yadav said.