Swaraj Lehar launches political party in Punjab

Chandigarh, The Swaraj Lehar launched a political party — the Swaraj Party — in Punjab at a convention held here on Sunday.
The organisation was a movement started by Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, who were expelled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) following differences with the party convenor, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Several members of the Swaraj Lehar attended the convention, which saw several resolutions, including one on forming a political party, was passed.
However, neither Yadav nor Bhushan attended Sunday’s convention.
Two of AAP’s rebel Parliamentarians — Dharamvir Gandhi from Patiala and Harinder Singh Khalsa from Fatehgarh Sahib — have said they supported the party but have yet to join it.
Former Panjab University professor Manjit Singh will lead the party in Punjab.
Singh said the party would focus on “fighting for free education, free health and medical services, a debt free rural Punjab, expansion of MGNREGA and its extension to urban Punjab, and universal employment” and would push for implementing principles of riparian water rights for equitable distribution of river waters of Punjab.
A state working committee of 41 members has been constituted to expand the bases of the party at block and village levels.
Committees have already been formed in half the state’s districts, while the remaining would be constituted within two weeks’ time.
The other officer-bearers of the party are senior vice-president Santokh Singh Aujla; vice- presidents GB Sahota and Rupinder Kaur; general secretary Harbans Singh Dholewal; secretary Gurmeet Singh Prajapat; joint secretary Charanjit Singh; and treasurer Pritam Singh.
A three-member team of Manik Goyal, Parteek and Gagandeep will be the in-chrage of party’s activities on social media. Three other members of the party — Shamsher Singh Bharadwaj, Gurnam Singh, Hartej Singh and Kuldeep Sharma — have been appointed spokespersons.
The group had announced its intentions to form a party in April and had begun its membership drive five months ago.
However, decision to form a national party and elect its office-bearers will take place on July 30 and 31 in Delhi.