Seniors, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, tried to convince Ashutosh to withdraw his resignation, but he has declined, sources tell ThePrint.
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ashutosh, who resigned from the party last week, is believed to have declined to withdraw his resignation, party sources have told ThePrint.
Ashutosh, the sources said, remained unfazed despite prodding and attempts at convincing him by several senior leaders, including Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh met Ashutosh, urging him to change his decision. Kejriwal, it is believed, called to remind him of the promises made to the people when the party was founded in 2012.
But Ashutosh remained unperturbed, posting pictures on Twitter Sunday from Himachal Pradesh where he is holidaying.
Away from the urban chaos, in the purity of nature in Himachal Pradesh. An abode in the valley of heaven !!! @ajitanjum @sanjeevpaliwal Nothing is more beautiful than with friends and nature. pic.twitter.com/uLPhAvQAcA
— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) August 19, 2018
Also read: Ashutosh’s resignation from AAP reflects poorly on Kejriwal’s ability as team leader
Ashutosh announced his decision to quit the party in a tweet on 15 August citing “a very very personal reason”. In the same tweet, he requested the Political Affairs Committee of the party to accept his resignation.
Every journey has an end. My association with AAP which was beautiful/revolutionary has also an end.I have resigned from the PARTY/requested PAC to accept the same. It is purely from a very very personal reason.Thanks to party/all of them who supported me Throughout.Thanks.
— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) August 15, 2018
A senior party leader told ThePrint, “The announcement of his resignation was not a surprise for the party, only the timing was. For a long time now Ashutosh was saying that he was no longer enjoying the job at hand.”
He also added that the party will still try to convince Ashutosh to continue providing his services to the AAP movement.
Ashutosh had been with the party since its India Against Corruption days (2011-12) and was one of its most visible faces in the media.
“The party leadership is desperate to convince Ashutosh to withdraw his resignation as it is spreading a very negative message. Since the inception of the party, many senior leaders have either resigned or were expelled. The party leadership was already battling the charges of being autocratic in its functioning,” another party leader said on condition of anonymity.
Also read: Some expelled, some resigned: Ashutosh joins a long list of leaders who’ve left AAP
The second leader also said that despite efforts from Kejriwal and Sisodia, there seems to be no respite from the infighting within the Punjab unit of AAP after MLA and former Leader of Opposition in the Punjab assembly Sukhpal Singh Khaira revolted against the central leadership of the party. The internal revolt comes at a time when the party is gearing up for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and assembly elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
The party PAC met Monday to take stock of the preparations for the forthcoming assembly elections but Ashutosh’s resignation was not discussed.
Nobody stays for long in AAP as they get disillusioned due to not getting there share of power or finding out the dirty side of politics in AAP and kejriwal throwing out the honest workers. A day is not far off when kejriwal is the only leader in AAP associated with India against corruption fighting for lokpal. Now AAP even doesn’t even talk of lokpal.