Senior AAP leaders await Vishwas’ resignation

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is unlikely to remove its newly appointed Rajasthan chief and poet-politician Kumar Vishwas anytime soon, but, according to sources, the party would “slowly sideline him” from direct affairs of the party, forcing him to resign.

Multiple highly-placed sources within the party said that several senior leaders from the party are eagerly waiting for Kumar Vishwas to resign. “Senior leaders who are very close to Arvind Kejriwal are not happy with Kumar Vishwas and the party is looking at him with suspicion and is keeping a close watch on his speeches and movements. Seniors within the party also want him to resign from all party posts soon.”

The infighting between senior AAP leaders and Kumar Vishwas came out in the open last week after senior leader and former AAP Delhi chief Dilip Pandey hit out at Kumar Vishwas for his speech in Rajasthan where, while addressing a rally, he said he would not directly attack Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Following this, posters accusing Kumar Vishwas of being a “traitor” were put up outside the AAP’s headquarters in Delhi. The posters also had pictures of Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and also thanked Dilip Pandey for bringing the “truth” about Kumar Vishwas in the open.

Along with suspended party MLA Amanatullah Khan, leaders like Deepak Bajpai, seen as close to Kejriwal, have also criticised Kumar Vishwas. Bajpai, who was recently promoted as AAP’s treasurer, also took to Twitter to launch a veiled attack on the poet-politician.

Sources have also said that the party is not likely to take any action against Kumar Vishwas as this would put across a wrong message among voters.

A senior party leader, who did not wish to be named, directly accused Vishwas of being a “BJP agent”.

“He (Vishwas) is nothing but an agent of the BJP, like other leaders who have already shown their true colours and already joined the BJP. Even from the days he was involved with Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement, he was there as their (BJP’s) agent and his activities now are showing his allegiance. We do not trust him anymore and it is better for the party to remove him as soon as possible,” the leader said.

 However, Kumar Vishwas has so far neither spoken about these accusations nor has he denied the charges.

 Vishwas  remained unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts from this correspondent. However, sources close to Vishwas said that he was focusing on next year’s Assembly elections in Rajasthan.

“He wants to build a strong organisation and when the right time comes, he will respond to each detractor in his own way, within and outside the party,” a source close to him said, while not denying that Vishwas shares excellent relations with the BJP leadership.