NEW DELHI — Battling infighting, the AAP today decided to take steps to douse the flames of dissent by reaching out to senior leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan. The party also decided to expand in other states, a move that Yadav had earlier supported and became a contentious issue.
A meeting of AAP's Political Affairs Committee, the party's top decision-making body, held at Kejriwal's Kaushambi residence also decided to enhance the involvement of its volunteers in its decision-making process.
AAP sources said Kejriwal and other senior leaders expressed concern over the party's image getting hit following the bitter fight between warring factions that had come out in the open in the last two weeks.
"We have already started working to normalise the situation in the party. We have taken a step forward as we have already met Yadav," senior party leader Sanjay Singh told reporters after the two-hour-long meeting.
Although he dodged questions on Bhushan's refusal to meet Ashish Khetan saying "he has not refused to talk".
Over the past few weeks, AAP has been embroiled in internal turmoil with leaders from both the camps making accusations and levelling allegations against each other.
Singh said the PAC has also decided to expand the party in other states, an issue over which Yadav had come under fire as he had favoured AAP spreading its wings in some other states.
"The party will expand. Will work to strengthen our organisation in other states. A decision on which states party should contest elections in will be taken only after looking at political capacity and leadership in those states.
Giving major thrust on volunteers, Singh said that the party will involve them in the decision-making process and a committee will be set up for that purpose.
"The party will prepare a list of active volunteers in the country. They will be given importance in the decision-making in the organisation and we have also decided to form a committee on how to increase volunteers participation," he said.
The efforts for rapprochement by both the sides picked momentum following Kejriwal's return here last night after 12 days of naturopathy treatment in Bengaluru for his chronic cough and diabetes.
Senior leaders AAP leaders Sanjay Singh, Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh and Ashish Khetan -- all known to be Kejriwal loyalists -- met Yadav late last night and held discussions on several contentious issues. Both the camps termed the discussions as positive.