The reorganization of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) top brass comes after the party's poor performance in the last Delhi Assembly polls. The tactical reorganization was sanctioned in a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the party's top decision-making forum, chaired by Arvind Kejriwal.
Two states have been given new state chiefs and four have been assigned in-charges.
Gopal Rai will now look after Gujarat, and Durgesh Pathak will be co-convenor. Sandeep Pathak has been tasked with Chhattisgarh, and Mehraj Mallik has been made the party chief in Jammu and Kashmir.
One of the most significant shifts is that of former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia's shift to Punjab. The idea is to make AAP stronger in the state so that its sole bastion is not lost. Sisodia, a close friend of Arvind Kejriwal, is likely to coordinate closely with state convenors and party office-holders to bring the party's vision to Punjab. He would also oversee the Punjab government's delivery on poll promises, which have been questioned in the recent past, especially as the Bhagwant Mann government has been criticized for failing to meet AAP's election promises.
Sisodia's shifting to Punjab is also perceived as an effort to improve the communication between Punjab unit and Delhi-based central leadership to facilitate a smoother coordination of actions.
Following its defeat in Delhi, AAP is looking ahead to its fortunes in Gujarat and Goa—both states where it polled a reasonable percentage of votes previously. In Gujarat, AAP had won five seats in the previous Assembly polls, and with Rai and Pathak at the forefront, the party is seeking to re-win the hearts of voters and lay the groundwork for the 2027 polls.
AAP has two seats in the legislative assembly in Goa and has never fallen below 5% of the vote. The party hopes to further cement its base in the state.
The move of Sandeep Pathak from Gujarat to Chhattisgarh is particularly important, given that he was a key factor in AAP gaining support in the 2022 elections. His new position in Chhattisgarh will be instrumental in helping the party gain more ground in the state.
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