AAP appoints Surjeet Singh Thakur, a farmer, as Himachal unit chief

On April 11, the AAP had dissolved its Himachal Pradesh working committee and announced that it would reorganise it soon, following defection of its then state unit president Anup Kesari and several other senior functionaries to the BJP.

Hailing from a village near Rajgarh in Sirmaur, Thakur had joined AAP as a volunteer in 2012 and held several posts in the party, including its Sirmaur district president and state vice-president.

“It is only AAP which can appoint an ordinary person like me as its state president,” Surjeet Thakur said.

He said a gap has developed between the common man and the BJP and Congress that had ruled the state in turns. “The AAP will bridge this gap. AAP wants to change the system in Himachal Pradesh”.

Having attained higher education in social work, Thakur campaigned for the party in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana elections. He was working with a private firm in Chandigarh and some other places, but left his job in 2016 to take care of work related to the party.

Later, while talking to reporters here, Sisodia said that previous Akali and Congress governments were responsible for pro-Khalistani activities in Punjab.

He said that in the past five years, the Jai Ram Thakur-led government did nothing in education, health and tourism sectors. “The people of the state are fed up of the BJP government and want to give AAP a chance. If given mandate, party convenor Arvind Kejriwal will implement the Delhi model of development here,” Sisodia said.

The senior AAP leader said that party will go to polls alone and will not form alliance with any party. “AAP’s popularity has been increasing. Many Congress and BJP leaders are also in touch with us and they will be joining us soon,” he said.

Responding to media queries regarding raising pro-Khalistani slogans in Amritsar, Jalandhar and other Punjab cities on the anniversary of Operation Bluestar on Monday, Sisodia said, “It’s very interesting. In Punjab, there were Akali and Congress governments and they not only organised such types of activities every year but also encouraged such activities.”

The senior AAP leader further stated, “As AAP has come to power in Punjab, such activities will also be put to an end gradually.”

The newly appointed state AAP vice-presidents are Bhagwant Singh, Sher Singh Thakur, Rama Guleriya, Puran Chand, Purnender Mohan Kashyao, SS Zogta, KG Parashar and Manish Thakur. Besides, its state secretary will be Rakesh Mandotra and treasurer Professor Kulwant Rana, while state joint secretaries are BR Kaundal, Chetan Chambiyal, Aman Guleria, Pankaj Pandit, Santram and Surender Bandhu.

Besides, Raj Thakur, Rajeev Ambia, Capt. Prashant Sharma and Rakesh Ajta have been appointed as Lok Sabha in-charges for Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi and Shimla seats.