AAP has lost interest in governance, using Delhi as launch pad: Yogendra Yadav

Amid Delhi government's constant run-ins with the Centre, Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav on Wednesday launched a no-holds-barred attack on AAP, saying it has "minimum interest" in governing the capital and that it is using the city as a launch pad for greener pastures in other states.

Yadav, once a prominent AAP ideologue and now the President of the political outfit launched on October 2, insisted that AAP's "focus is outside" and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is using Delhi's "resources and visibility" to expand the footprint of his party, leaving citizens of the capital in the lurch.

The Swaraj India President, who was expelled from AAP for "anti-party" activities after he crossed swords with the leadership last year, was also critical of Kejriwal, AAP ministers and MLAs for "often being outside Delhi" at a time when the city was struggling to cope with the vector-borne diseases.

"The AAP government is using Delhi merely as a stepping stone. They basically want to use Delhi's resources, its visibility to step on to Punjab, Goa," Yadav told PTI in an interview.

Referring to the Delhi High Court judgement, which stamped primacy of the LG as the administrative head of the capital, Yadav said after the order, AAP has "lost all interest in governing".

"So, from being party which was obsessed with Delhi, it has become a party which has less than minimum interest required left in the state where it governs. They seem to have made up their mind that there is no juice left in Delhi. So, make use of Delhi," Yadav said.

Attacking the AAP for its 'Delhi Model of Governance', Yadav said the "party is mindless in publicity" and often contradicts with its own claims.

"You cannot go and say two things at the same time. You cannot say I don't have the police and land and I cannot do anything and (then) you say we have transformed Delhi... This is Delhi Model of governance and everyone should replicate it.

"If they (the AAP) go and say that we are severely hampered, but in the limited things we can do, here is something we have done," Yadav said.

The new party has announced that it wants to contest MCD polls and claimed to have presence in 200 wards.