Phoolka won’t toe AAP line on Meira

Chandigarh : Deviating from his party’s stand, senior AAP leader and lawyer HS Phoolka said here today that he would not vote for Congress nominee Meira Kumar in the July 17 presidential election. Phoolka, who quit as the Leader of the Opposition earlier this week, cited the alleged involvement of some Congress leaders in the anti-Sikh riots for his decision to abstain from voting.
As the 1984 carnage is an emotive issue in the state, speculation is rife that several AAP MLAs may follow in Phoolka’s footsteps and decide not to vote.
The party’s legislators and MPs barely constitute 1 per cent of the electorate for the presidential poll. “Our votes may not have any impact on the outcome, but we can make a strong statement by rejecting the BJP as well as the Congress,” a party MLA said. The AAP Political Affairs Committee has decided to vote for Meira, the joint candidate of the Opposition parties. Phoolka, who is fighting the cases of riot victims, said his conscience did not allow him to support the Congress. The party’s alliance partner, Lok Insaaf Party – which has two MLAs (the Bains brothers) — has already announced support for NDA’s candidate Ram Nath Kovind. Simarjit and Balwinder Singh Bains have also cited the anti-Sikh riots for their stand against the Congress. Party’s state convener MP Bhagwant Mann said Phoolka’s decision was personal. “There is no party whip to vote for a particular candidate,” he added.