AAP national executive may decide fate of Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav today

The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) 21-member national executive is meeting here today and is likely to decide on the fate of two of its dissident leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav.

The AAP is embroiled in an ugly internal strife barely a month after forming a majority government in national capital New Delhi.

There is unconfirmed speculation that the duo of Bhushan and Yadav may be eased out of the national executive, which is the AAP's top policy body.

Bhushan is a leading Supreme Court lawyer and an AAP founder, while Yogendra Yadav is a well-known political pundit who is also a part of the nine-member decision-making Political Affairs Committee (PAC)

The decision, if carried out, would mean that Bhushan and Yadav would cease to be decision makers in a party that is sure to expand its wings in the country once it cements its foundation in Delhi.

And if Bhushan and Yadav take their ouster from the PAC as a slight, they could exit from the Aam Aadmi Party.

There are reports of a majority of the national executive being in favour of the ouster of the duo, as they feel both have brought a bad name to the AAP by talking about the lack of so-called internal democracy in the party.

Meanwhile, the AAP has announced that National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is unlikely to attend Wednesday's National Executive meeting, as he is flying to Bengaluru for naturopathy treatment for ten days to recover from diabetes and a consistent bout of cough.

Kejriwal has said that he is deeply hurt and pained by what is going on in the party, and believes that it is a betrayal of the trust that the people of Delhi have reposed in the AAP.

He said that he would not allow the "people's trust to be broken".

On Tuesday, Prashant Bhushan's father Shanti Bhushan, also a leading lawyer, urged his son, Yadav and Kejriwal to "stick together".

"Kejriwal should continue as all-India convenor. Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav must support him.

"That's the best for the party, and such a stand will achieve the goals for which the party was set up. There should be no rift," said Shanti Bhushan, who himself has made critical comments against Kejriwal earlier.

Yadav said on Tuesday: "I and Prashant Bhushan had raised voice for internal democracy in the party. There is nothing wrong in that. I will see if action happens against me."

In what was viewed as an obvious attack on Kejriwal, Bhushan and Yadav have been quoted as questioning the party's "one person-centric" approach-in internal communications leaked to the media.

Bhushan on Tuesday refused to speak to the media.

Yadav is being accused by a section of the AAP of trying to oust Kejriwal as its national convenor. AAP leaders appealing for peace deny this.

In Kejriwal's absence, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will officiate as chief minister.

Officials in Bengaluru said Kejriwal will be admitted to the Jindal Naturecure Institute on the outskirts of the city on Thursday.

The institute, spread over 10 acres of lush greenery, provides relief, prevention and cure of specific diseases through a non-invasive, drug-less therapy.