In significant rejig, AAP picks Bharadwaj as Delhi unit head, Sisodia Punjab in-charge

The key appointments in Punjab have been made keeping in view the 2027 Assembly polls in the state where the party wants to retain power. AAP leader and Delhi MLA Jarnail Singh, who was in charge in the state in the 2022 Assembly elections, was not given any key role in the latest reshuffle.

Rajya Sabha MP and AAP’s national general secretary Sandeep Pathak has been given additional responsibility as the special in-charge of Chhattisgarh, where the party made an entry into the state’s political sphere by winning a single seat in the municipal elections held in February.  Pathak hails from Chhattisgarh. Pathak earlier handled key states at once — he was the in-charge in Gujarat and was said to have played a role in the party’s win in Punjab.

Pankaj Gupta, the party’s national secretary, has been given the charge of Goa, a state where the party had secured two seats after the 2022 Assembly polls. Three co-incharges have also been appointed in the state — Ankush Narang, an MCD councillor; Abhash Malik, who has previously been a candidate from the party from Faridabad, and Deepak Singhla, owner of a Delhi-based restaurant chain Singhla sweets.  Singhla had recently contested elections in the national capital.

Meanwhile, former MLA and youngest member of the PAC, Durgesh Pathak, who had led the Goa campaign in the 2022, elections, has now been picked as the co-incharge for Gujarat.

AAP’s sole J&K MLA Mehraj Malik has been appointed as the chief of his state’s unit. Addressing a press conference following the meeting, Pathak said, “First, the expansion of the organisation and the format of the organisation were discussed. After that, the appointment of in-charges in four states has been approved and the appointment of new presidents in two states has been approved.”

At the presser, Bharadwaj said: “Although the AAP lost in Delhi, there was only a 2 percentage (point) difference between the AAP’s and the BJP’s vote share… this means that half of Delhi still wants Arvind Kejriwal despite the BJP’s planning and plotting.”

Meanwhile, BJP and Congress trained guns at AAP after the development, accusing the party of seeking to shelter Sisodia and Jain.

BJP leader and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, in a post on X, questioned why the two had been “imposed” on Punjab. “Rejected in Delhi, now imposed on Punjab! AAP appoints Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain… corrupt leaders who lost public trust; as Punjab’s in-charge and co-incharge. Is Punjab just a rehabilitation center for AAP’s tainted and failed politicians? Kejriwal Ji’s silent ambition of becoming Punjab’s CM through backdoor politics is no secret. But let this be clear – Punjab will never be ruled by outsiders or used as a launchpad for your personal aspirations. Don’t play with Punjab’s sovereignty… this land will resist every such attempt” he stated.

Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav termed the AAP decision to move key leaders to Punjab “…a calculated move to loot the State before the people throw out AAP from power.” “With Kejriwal keeping a safe distance by pushing his partners in corruption to further trouble by giving them charge to loot Punjab, AAP’s real corrupt face has come to the fore.”