Sandeep Pathak replaces Raghav Chadha as Punjab co-incharge as AAP appoints new office-bearers in 9 states

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, March 21

Buoyed by its Punjab victory, the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday organised its units in major states, including those going into elections later this year, giving IIT Delhi professor Sandeep Pathak a major responsibility as the AAP in-charge of poll bound Gujarat. Pathak also replaces Raghav Chadha as the co-in-charge of Punjab.

The new list of office-bearers released on Monday shows that AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal has retained Jarnail Singh, Delhi Tilak Nagar MLA as the Punjab in charge, appointing Pathak as co-in-charge. Both Pathak and Raghav Chadha are set to enter Rajya Sabha from Punjab and are being rewarded for their work in the state.

Election in charges have been named in all poll bound states.

In Gujarat, AAP’s MLA from Delhi’s Matiala constituency Gulab Singh has been appointed election in charge with Pathak named state in charge of the party.

Delhi Greater Kailash legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj will be the AAP election in charge in Haryana which goes to elections in 2024. Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Gupta has been formally appointed state in charge with AAP leader Mahendra Choudhary co-in-charge.

AAP today announced an elaborate organisational set up in Himachal Pradesh with Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain staying poll in-charge; senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak named in charge with three co-in-charges, including Amritsar mayor Karamjit Rintu and Delhi MCD councillor Gurjit Bath’s husband Kulwant Bath.

In Chhattisgarh, AAP has named Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai as poll in-charge with the party’s Burari MLA (Delhi) Sanjeev Jha named in charge and party leader Santosh Srivastava named co-in-charge.

AAP’s Dwarka MLA (Delhi) Vinay Mishra will be the party’s poll in-charge in Rajasthan and state minister Somnath Bharti will handle elections in Telangana.

Importantly, AAP has trusted many of party Delhi MLAs with key roles in poll bound states — Saurabh Bhardwaj in Haryana; Gulab Singh in Gujarat, Gopal Rai in Chhattisgarh, Vinay Mishra in Rajasthan, Somnath Bharti in Telangana and Satyendra Jain in Himachal.

The latest round of reorganisation indicates the party’s seriousness in respect of upcoming elections.

Gujarat and Himachal will witness elections later this year. In both the states, the ruling BJP has traditionally seen a direct contest with the Congress.

The equations look set to change this year with AAP’s senior leadership openly proclaiming to dislodge Congress as the natural voter choice to the BJP.

Below is the list: