Sucha Singh Chottepur finally resigns from AAP

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], Sept. 30 (ANI): Putting all speculation to rest, ousted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member Sucha Singh Chottepur finally resigned from the party on Friday. The sacked Punjab convener of the party, Chhotepur, is expected to launch his new political outfit soon. Several AAP volunteers, including the seven zonal chiefs, who have been with Chhotepur, are expected to join the new outfit. The party - Apna Punjab Party (APP) - would be registered as a state party with the Election Commission and would either field or support candidates in all 117 seats in the forthcoming assembly polls in the state and Chhotepur would head the party. The party is collaborating with the fourth front of suspended AAP MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi. The APP will have to show the membership of 100 men as is the requirement of the Election Commission of India for registration purposes. The AAP, however, chose to distance itself from several leaders, considered close to Chhotepur, including a founding member of the party, Pavittar Singh. The party, however, maintained silence on the status of Chhotepur, who claimed to have sent his resignation by post to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on September 16. Earlier in August, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, who was sacked from the post of party's Punjab convener following allegations of seeking bribe for allotting party tickets, demanded a CBI probe, insisting that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party could defame him if he is guilty. Talking to ANI, Chhotepur said he was very surprised by the party's decision. "A transparent system should have been framed. A committee is formed after my removal. A standard process is that a committee is formed first and then the decision is taken. But it was not the case with me," Chotepur said. "I want to tell them that the people whom they have included in the committee were recommending my removal. I yesterday said this and I reiterate that if I had done any wrong deed, then there should be a CBI inquiry. If I am found guilty, they can defame me," he added. Amid sharp criticism following accusations of him taking bribes for assigning constituencies to party candidates for the assembly elections in Punjab to be held early next year, an extremely disappointed Chhotepur told media that Kejriwal did not trust Punjabis. Holding AAP leader Durgesh Pathak responsible for the "conspiracy", Chhotepur claimed that his opponents were defending him, while his own party was conspiring against him. (ANI)