Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) founder member Kumar Vishwas was on Wednesday removed as the party in-charge of election-bound Rajasthan, the party announced on Wednesday. AAP's national spokesperson Ashutosh made the announcement and said National Treasurer Deepak Bajpai had been made the new in-charge.
Vishwas has been ignored by the party for the second time after the Rajya Sabha elections in Delhi, allegedly for differing with the party line on several issues and for "locking horns" with the party's top brass on several occasions.
"A decision to this effect has been taken by the AAP's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) in its meeting held on Monday in which it was decided to appoint Deepak Bajpai as state in-charge for Rajasthan", said Ashutosh.
"During a meeting of the AAP's Political Affairs Committee held two days ago, it was decided that the party would contest Rajasthan Assembly elections scheduled to be held in November-December later this year. Senior leader and national treasurer of the party Deepak Bajpai had been deputed to Rajasthan over the last few weeks to assess the political situation in the state, for which he toured several districts and Assembly segments. Deepak Bajpai has been nominated by the party as the State in-charge for Rajasthan," said Ashutosh.
He said the "candidate selection process has been initiated and seats where the party has a strong support base have been identified to design a tailored strategy".
The AAP alleged that the farmers and labourers of Rajasthan have suffered "continuous persecution and atrocities". "Farmer agitations have erupted in almost all parts of the State, electricity prices are on the rise and corruption has reached unprecedented levels. Both the BJP and the Congress have betrayed the people of the state at every step," said the party's spokesperson.
AAP Rajasthan leader Poonam Chand Bhandari said, "The people of Rajasthan have become frustrated with both parties and are looking for a new alternative. The current Vasundhara Raje Government is only concerned with itself and is favouring corporate houses."
AAP laders asserted that the people of Rajasthan will now have an "honest alternative" as they are fed up of the politics of Congress and BJP. The AAP leaders said that their government has made a "huge difference to the lives of all sections of society in Delhi and will reflect the same in Rajasthan".