AAP’s rejig after poll debacle: Bhardwaj replaces Gopal Rai in Delhi, Sisodia moved to Punjab

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) effected a major overhaul in the party’s organisational structure on Friday, replacing incumbent Delhi unit chief Gopal Rai with Saurabh Bharadwaj and moving the former to Gujarat.

The big shake-up and re-structuring of the party’s state chiefs and in-charges come in the wake of AAP’s debacle in Delhi Assembly polls. The decision to reallocate the party’s top leaders to states like Punjab, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh was taken at the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the highest decision-making body of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

The party has announced new party chiefs in two states and in-charges in four states.

Gopal Rai will be the party’s in-charge for Gujarat while Durgesh Pathak will serve in the capacity of co-convenor.

Sandeep Pathak has been given charge of Chhattisgarh while Mehraj Mallik has been made Jammu and Kashmir chief.

Among the most noticeable changes is former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia being moved to Punjab, to strengthen the party’s base and keep its only citadel from falling.

Manish Sisodia, being the closest aide of Arvind Kejriwal is likely to work closely with the party’s state convenors and office-bearers to implement AAP supremo’s views and goals in the state. He will also keep watch on the Punjab government’s poll promises and their implementation. Lately, the Bhagwant Mann government has been under fire for not fulfilling AAP’s poll promises.

Sisodia’s Punjab shift is also seen as a move to establish strong communication channels between the party’s Punjab unit and the central leadership in Delhi.

After losing the Delhi battleground, the AAP is eyeing its electoral chances in Gujarat and Goa, the two states where it managed to secure moderate vote percentage earlier.

In Gujarat, AAP won five seats in the last Assembly elections. Gopal Rai and Durgesh Pathak will reassess the ground connect in the state and prepare the party for the next Assembly elections in 2027.

In Goa, AAP has two legislators. Here also, AAP has maintained a vote share of above 5 per cent and will look to consolidate the public support further.

Sandeep Pathak, being shifted from Gujarat to Chhattisgarh assumes importance as he was instrumental in cultivating and drawing people’s support for AAP in the 2022 polls.

IANS