AAP appoints Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain as Punjab in-charge
What's the story
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has revamped its Punjab leadership after a setback in the Delhi assembly elections.
Former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia has been appointed as the new head of party affairs in Punjab. Former minister Satyender Jain will be co-in-charge.
This major change comes almost six weeks after AAP's loss in Delhi and Sisodia's return to the role after five years.
Leadership change
Sisodia and Jain replace Jarnail Singh and Raghav Chadha
Sisodia takes over from Jarnail Singh, a four-time AAP MLA from Delhi's Tilak Nagar.
Jain replaces Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha.
The appointments were ratified at a meeting of AAP's political affairs committee at Arvind Kejriwal's residence.
Kejriwal is the party's national convener and former Delhi CM.
Sisodia and Jain were among the prominent AAP leaders who lost assembly seats in the recent elections.
Previous tenure
Sisodia's 1st stint as in-charge of Punjab affairs
This is not Sisodia's first stint as in-charge of party affairs in Punjab.
He was assigned by AAP in December 2017 after a string of defeats and dismal assembly polls showing.
However, internal differences soon led to a rebellion by former Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira and other party MLAs, and Jarnail Singh was appointed as his successor in February 2020.
Goals outlined
Sisodia's mission for Punjab
After being reappointed, Sisodia thanked Kejriwal and the party leadership for the new responsibility.
He said his mission is to fast-track Punjab's transformation focusing on employment, education, and development while fighting crime, drugs, and unemployment.
A party spokesperson said this decision marks a renewed push for governance and transformation in the state.
Political strategy
AAP's restructuring amid rising tensions in Punjab
AAP's restructuring comes amid increasing tensions in Punjab and is part of the party's long-term electoral play for 2027.
The new state in-charges' first challenge will be the Ludhiana West bypoll where AAP has fielded Rajya Sabha member and industrialist Sanjeev Arora.
In recent weeks, Sisodia has been seen visiting government schools in Punjab with the state's Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, indicating his active involvement in local governance matters.