Khaira's resignation political drama, he must resign from Assembly and re-contest: Mann

Khaira, the rebel AAP MLA from Punjab, resigned from primary membership of the party on Sunday, alleging that it had "totally deviated" from the ideology and principles on which it was formed.

The 53-year-old former Congressman who had joined the Aam Aadmi Party in December 2015 -- nearly a year before the last Punjab assembly polls -- sent his resignation to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.

Asked to comment on the development, Mann told reporters, "Khaira's resignation is just a political drama. If he wants to test his popularity, he must resign from the Vidhan Sabha and seek re-election from Bholath."

The state unit president of AAP also termed Khaira an "opportunist", saying he was suspended on the grounds of indiscipline and anti-party activities.

"Even when he was in the Congress, he was of the habit of speaking against his party leaders. When he joined AAP (in Dec 2015), he started doing the same thing. His sole aim was to grab some post. Often, he use to ridicule me by calling me a 'maskhara' (a joker).

Mann was a comedian before entering politics.

Khaira had been a vocal critic of the AAP leadership since he was removed as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly in July last year. He, along with another rebel leader Kanwar Sandhu, were suspended from the AAP in November last year for indulging in "anti-party" activities.

Mann said, "Khaira has always worked on the principle of 'self' but that is not acceptable in any organisation. He has always raised questions over party decisions, be it appointing H S Phoolka as the Leader of Opposition (earlier) or me as the president of the party's Punjab unit. His fight is only for grabbing power and nothing more."

Leader of Opposition Harpal Cheema, who was appointed in Khaira's place in July last year, also took a dig at the Bolath MLA, alleging that he tried to "weaken the party."

Both Mann and Cheema sought to reach out to the six dissident MLAs, who have been loyal to Khaira, telling them that the party's doors are always open for them.

Seeking to playdown the developments within the AAP's state unit, Cheema said these will have no impact on party's poll prospects.

"The party is rising strongly in the state and will contest the 2019 general elections on its own," he said while making it clear that the AAP has no place for those who work against the party while remaining within its fold.

Another senior AAP leader Budhram said the party doesn't depend on any individual, and the driving force behind it has always been the people of Punjab and the AAP volunteers.

AAP MLA from Sunam, Aman Arora said, "Khaira is an example of opportunism in politics and he has never been a team player."

The Congress and SAD, BJP leaders too took a dig at Khaira.

SAD leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said Khaira should have resigned as MLA just as another AAP leader H S Phoolka had done.

"When Khaira has already been suspended by the AAP, what purpose will resigning from primary membership serve. If he had to take a stand on any issue, he should have first resigned as an MLA," Majithia said.

Congress leader Raj Kumar Verka also said that Khaira should have resigned as MLA first, "but the fact that did not do so, speaks about the greed he has to hang on to the posts".

Claiming that the AAP has been rejected by the people, senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh said, "It (AAP) has become like an expired injection, that lacks any efficacy."