AAP's National Council may decide Bhushan-Yadav fate

With talks between the warring factions of AAP failing, the party's National Council meeting is expected to take a decision on the fate of its defiant founder-members Yogendra Yadav and Prasahnt Bhushan whose expulsion is being demanded by Arvind Kejriwal loyalists.
A proposal to remove the duo from the party is likely to be moved by Kejriwal camp on the allegation that the duo were trying to remove him from the post of the party's National Convenor, sources said. Another "grave" charge by Kejriwal camp is that the duo also worked to ensure AAP's defeat in Delhi Assembly polls.
Sources in Kejriwal camp said that with the situation reaching a point of no return, it will now be "impossible" to work with the duo.

However, the Prashant Bhushan-Yogendra Yadav camp has said that it won't be easy to remove them from the party.
"They can remove us from the National Executive but not from the party. If we have to be removed from the party, the matter has to be referred to the Lokpal or the discplinary committee.
"In this case, we have referred our own cases to the Lokpal. The party has not referred (the cases to the Lokpal)," Bhushan said in response to a question.

Both the groups claimed to have the numbers with them, ahead of the National Council meeting.
The party's constitution states that action cannot be taken by the party unless the member is given an opportunity to explain his stand.

"Discplinary action may result in penalties ranging from warning, suspension or expulsion from the party.
"No disciplinary action shall be taken against the member without giving an opportunity to that member to explain and answer the charges against him/her," the party's constitution states.
The National Council, the third most important body of AAP, has over 350 members. The meeting will also be attended by AAP MLAs and MPs.
Meanhwhile, ahead of the National Council meeting, a joint letter written by Yadav, Bhushan, Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha, have alleged that the party has invited district convenors of just four states.

"I understand that you have invited the district and state conveners of just four states (UP, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana) for this NC meeting, and no one from the other states. This is totally illogical.
"In fact, according to our constitution, district and state convenors become members of NC only after they are duly elected by a bottom-up process. This has not happened so far. Therefore, going by the party's constitution, only the founder-members are members of NC as of now," the letter, addressed to the party's national secretary Pankaj Gupta, said.