2018 a mixed bag for AAP

NEW DELHI: Year 2018 for the AAP was a mixed bag when the two top party functionaries and founding members left the party at the same time the Delhi High Court quashed the office of profit case against 20 MLAs which gave a boost to the party. In the end, the party got all positive judicial verdicts which made the party more credible and stronger.

"For Delhi residents, the real hero of 2018 is India's judiciary. Restoration of rights of elected govt, quashing biased EC order on 20 MLAs, ensuring minimum wages to the needy & upholding rights of the Legislative Assembly - judiciary upheld it all for Delhiites. Salute !" tweeted Nagendra Sharma, a spokesperson of Delhi government.

AAP is the ruling party with a thumping majority of Delhi hence it always stays in the spotlight of discussion. Asutosh and Ashish Khetan both were considered as the assets of the party and also both of the leaders were founding members of the party.

While Khetan held a Cabinet rank post as the Delhi Dialogue Commission chairperson, Ashutosh was the spokesperson for the party. Both of them were former journalists and joined the party from the Anna Andolan. This year they left citing personal reasons. Amid all these, the Supreme Court of India gave the verdict for the AAP led government and said that the elected government should be allowed to function and the Lieutenant Governor should not interfere in the regular works of the government.

Thereafter a significant change took place in the party and in the governance. According to Raj Niwas sources after the verdict till the end of the year, the Delhi LG Anil Baijal hardly chaired any meeting of the government which was not the case earlier. Every week there used to be meeting between the government and the Lieutenant Governor but the change of the situation not only made the party credible but also made the government more powerful, noted senior leaders.

On the first month of 2018, the party faced the office of profit case thereafter the President of India also approved the disqualification of these leaders. However, later the High Court quashed the order. The sources in the party said that the decision made the party stronger and also helped in its campaigning.