The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday amended its Constitution to deal with certain practical issues faced at the organisational level, with the changes including allowing more than one person from a family to contest elections.
However, the party, at its National Council meeting where the alterations were approved, contrary to speculation, did not take up for discussion the clause that limits the number of times a leader can be an office-bearer to two. This is significant in the backdrop of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal occupying the post of National Convenor of the party for two terms now. His term was extended by the top-most decision-making body of the party for a year in 2018 in view of the Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly polls.
In the run-up to today's meeting, there was speculation that the clause might be amended to remove the restriction on the number of terms a person can hold in view of the party's plans to contest elections in six states in the coming two years as also the crucial municipal elections scheduled to be held next year.
“No discussion was held on the issue. Arvind Kejriwal is our national convenor,” said Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia after the National Council meeting.
Sisodia said the amendments made today were based on the party's experience in the past nine years since it was formed and were guided by the practical difficulties it had faced, especially in the states where it is planning to expand its footprint.
An important change brought about is allowing more than one member of a family to contest elections. Earlier, the party Constitution stated that no two members of the same family would be eligible to contest elections.
Also, the district level unit of the party would be considered the primary unit rather than the entity at the level of the booth.
It was decided that MPs and MLAs will automatically become members of the National Council and the state council, respectively.
In the event of a vacancy arising in the party executive at the district, state or national level, a decision can be taken by the state executive or the national executive to appoint a replacement as an interim measure till the next round of organisational elections.
The Council also agreed that party members, while they will have complete freedom to put forth their views on the party's functioning or about any party leader within the party fora, cannot air their views in the public domain.
In the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was also decided that the meetings of the National Council and the state councils can be held through video conferencing.