Two key members of Aam Aadmi Party Shazia Ilmi and G R Gopinath today quit citing differences with Arvind Kejriwal's "jail politics" and lack of "internal democracy" in the party, which is battling internal fissures after the severe electoral drubbing in recent polls.
The simmering discontent in the fledgling party since its Lok Sabha poll debacle came to the fore as Ilmi, one of the founder members, announced her resignation from all party posts, claiming that a "crony clique" around Kejriwal was calling the shots.
While resigning from AAP, Gopinath, pioneer of low-cost air travel in India who joined the party in January, targeted Kejriwal saying a head of a party cannot indulge in "shoot and scoot politics" and questioned his refusal to furnish a bail bond in the defamation case filed against him by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.
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At a press conference in Delhi, Ilmi - who had lost the Lok Sabha polls from Ghaziabad - said, "After much thought and deliberation I have decided to give up my membership of AAP and resign from all positions within the party.
"My decision to leave the party is triggered by the lack of inner-party democracy, especially from a party that constantly talks of Swaraj (where everyone has a say in decision making)," she said.
Ilmi clarified that she is not joining any other party as of now.
She also disapproved of Kejriwal's "jail politics" and party's ways of holding dharnas.
"One strongly believes that instead of wasting our collective energy in the bail-jail imbroglio Arvind (Kejriwal) should have taken the bond, gone back to people, met our candidates and people there," she said.
In a communication to AAP's Karnataka Convenor Prithvi Reddy, Gopinath said, "I would like to resign from the membership of the Aam Aadmi Party with immediate effect because of increasing differences with the party leadership and its ways."
When contacted, Gopinath confirmed the development over phone from Toulouse in France.
Sources in AAP said a section in the party was unhappy about the way it is being run. They questioned various decisions like selection of candidates for Lok Sabha polls and "lack of communication" between the leadership and the second-rung leaders as well as the volunteers.
