Speaking to reporters the day after her disqualification from the NDP leadership race, Anjali Appadurai said she planned to stick with the party despite not being allowed to complete her campaign — a decision she called unfair.
“This conversation we’ve started here is so much bigger than me, so much bigger than the B.C. NDP,” said Appadurai. “It’s about what we compromise for power … what we compromise for winning the next election.”
Standing outside the provincial legislature in Victoria Thursday afternoon, Appadurai said there was “an assumption of illegitimacy” toward her campaign from the outset. She claimed a B.C. NDP report that found she worked too closely with a climate non-profit to draw new members was just a means to an end for the party’s executive committee.
“I believe that the evidence laid out in that report was cobbled together to support a pre-determined conclusion.
“We used good, old-fashioned organization and not any kind of collusion or trickery to sign up the number of members that we did.”
‘I want us to stay. I want us to fight inside’
Appadurai says she has no plans to jump ship and feels no one party should have a monopoly over climate justice values. While she says she and other NDP members feel disillusioned by her disqualification and the direction of the party, she doesn’t want them to give up.
“I don’t think that’s a reason to rip up our memberships,” she said, “and I won’t be ripping up my membership.”
“I want us to stay. I want us to fight inside — but more importantly, I want us to fight outside,” she said, adding that she feels the social, grassroots movements she champions are part of a push she feels is needed to ultimately “reshape” the party.
WATCH | Anjali Appadurai speaks about her disqualification from NDP leadership race:
The ousted NDP leadership candidate says her campaign “strove to do things with integrity.”
The party announced the disqualification Wednesday night after a closed-door meeting of executives.
According to a leaked report from the party’s chief electoral officer Elizabeth Cull, Appadurai broke campaign rules by improperly co-ordinating with third parties to encourage more people to sign up for party membership by Sept. 4 to vote in the leadership race.
David Eby is now the sole candidate and presumptive heir to the premier’s chair when John Horgan steps down. Horgan had planned to retire on Dec. 3, but with Eby now set to be sworn in as party leader on Friday, that date could be moved forward.
“Because no other remedy can adequately address the failings and breaches of the Appadurai campaign in this leadership election contest, the CEO has reached the difficult conclusion that Ms. Appadurai should be disqualified as a candidate,” read the report.
On Thursday, Elections B.C. announced that because of the decision, it had closed a review into possible political contributions from environmental and political advocacy group Dogwood B.C. to Appadurai’s campaign.
Appadurai insisted her campaign was entirely above board
“The review was initiated after complaints were received alleging that Dogwood B.C.’s activities in the B.C. NDP leadership race may constitute in-kind political contributions under the Election Act. The act requires approved leadership contestants to only accept political contributions from eligible individuals, and file financing reports with Elections B.C.,” reads the statement.
Appadurai had said earlier that she expected to be tossed out of the race — calling it a sign the party is trying to “control a situation” where she signed up far more supporters than Eby, who has the backing of most NDP cabinet members.
“It was the politics of the campaign — not the process, personnel or tactics — that attracted the number of members that it did,” she wrote in a series of tweets.
Sonia Theroux, co-executive director of Leadnow.ca, said the NDP will likely be in damage control for the next few months over the decision to disqualify Appadurai.
“There’s a perception that this decision was made entirely because she was competitive and because this party cannot make space for new voices and new faces,” said Theroux, speaking to CBC Radio’s On the Island host Gregor Craigie.
“From my view, having read the report and having read Anjali’s response, I don’t think it was at the level of warranting disqualification,” she said.
Appadurai could have been ‘welcome addition’ to race: Horgan
Speaking Thursday, Premier John Horgan said it was the right call to disqualify Appadurai from the race because of problems with her campaign.
He said she could have been a “welcome addition” to the leadership race, but it wasn’t possible to overlook the violation of campaign rules.
“She wants to make a difference, full marks to her for doing that,” he said. “Her enthusiasm and vigour is welcome… but you have to follow the rules.”
WATCH | Premier says Appadurai could have been ‘welcome addition’ to leadership race:
Outgoing B.C. Premier John Horgan said Anjali Appadurai, who was disqualified from the race to become his successor, could have been a welcome addition to the NDP, but violating campaign rules isn’t something the executive could look past.