In a major organizational shake-up, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has appointed Saurabh Bhardwaj, former Delhi Minister and MLA, as the state convenor of its Delhi unit. Bhardwaj replaces Gopal Rai, who has now been assigned the role of AAP’s Gujarat in-charge.
After taking charge, Bhardwaj outlined his top priority for the party in Delhi, stating, “Our first priority will be to expand the party organization. Elections will come and go, but strengthening the party structure is essential.”
Apart from the Delhi and Gujarat appointments, the AAP leadership has made several key changes:
- Pankaj Gupta has been appointed state in-charge for Goa.
- Manish Sisodia has been given charge of Punjab.
- Sandeep Pathak has been appointed state in-charge for Chhattisgarh.
- Mehraj Malik, an AAP MLA from Jammu and Kashmir, will now head the party’s J&K unit.
On his appointment as Punjab in-charge, Manish Sisodia emphasized the party’s commitment to governance, stating,
“There has been significant development in Punjab under our government. We will continue working for the welfare of the people and ensure that every dedicated AAP worker feels proud to be part of the party. The people of Punjab deeply respect Arvind Kejriwal and CM Bhagwant Mann.”
The AAP leadership shake-up comes in the wake of its significant defeat in the recently concluded Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, where the BJP secured a landslide victory.
For the first time in 27 years, the BJP returned to power in Delhi, winning 48 out of 70 seats, while AAP’s seat count dropped drastically from 62 to 22.
Delhi Leader of Opposition (LoP) and AAP MLA Atishi congratulated Saurabh Bhardwaj on his appointment as the new Delhi state convenor. In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote: “Many congratulations to @Saurabh_MLAgk ji on becoming the state president of Delhi.”
Speaking to reporters, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak confirmed the new appointments and emphasized that these decisions were made during the AAP Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting, held at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s residence.
“Various decisions were taken today in the PAC meeting. Gopal Rai has been made in charge of Gujarat, Pankaj Gupta will handle Goa, Manish Sisodia has been appointed in charge of Punjab, and I have been made in charge of Chhattisgarh. Saurabh Bhardwaj will lead Delhi, while Mehraj Malik has been appointed as AAP’s J&K chief,” Pathak said.
With these strategic leadership changes, AAP is now focusing on rebuilding its base and countering the BJP’s dominance, both in Delhi and across other key states.
