The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has made Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal the head of Punjab elections while party leaders Kapil Mishra and Ashutosh have been given the charge of Gujarat.
The decision was taken in a party meeting held at Chief Minister’s residence on Friday. Each member in-charge would have to spend at least 10-15 days of each month in the respective States which are going to polls in next year.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been given charge of Goa. Sisodia would be assisted by Health Minister Satyendra Jain. It is noted that Jain had made his visit twice to Goa in June. Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra and Ashutosh would be in-charge of the campaign in Gujarat. All party leaders have been instructed to get down to work from the first week of September and observe strict guidelines, including spending at least 10-15 days in their allotted States.
Insiders said Kejriwal who completed his Vipasana course in Dharmshala has assigned duties to top leaders of the party.
“It was discussed informally...Mainly the focus of the party to do this is to spread our party reach in the respective states,” Ashutosh told The Pioneer.
Another AAP leader, Sanjay Singh declined to comment on the issues discussed in the meeting. He said the meeting had been called essentially to meet the CM who is back from Dharamshala after 10 days.
“Whatever we discussed besides meeting the CM was informal. We are not going to comment on it unless an official decision has been taken,” Singh added.
The AAP is locked in a triangular contest against the BJP-SAD alliance and Congress in Punjab while it has made major splashes in Gujarat and Goa in the past few months. The party had decimated the BJP and Congress in the last Delhi assembly election. It is hoping to ride the plank of development, especially in education and health, in meeting success in its other focus States.