Amidst speculation of alliance with Congress, AAP appoints Lok Sabha in-charges for five Delhi seats

Written By dna Correspondent | Updated: Jun 02, 2018, 08:00 AM IST

Atishi Marlena and Raghav Chadha

The appointees include Atishi Marlena and Raghav Chadha, who were recently removed from the posts of advisors to ministers on the recommendation of the Union Home Ministry.

With only a year left for the 2019 general elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has started pulling up socks. The party has appointed Lok Sabha prabharis (in-charges) on five of the seven parliamentary constituencies in the Capital on Friday. The appointees include Atishi Marlena and Raghav Chadha, who were recently removed from the posts of advisors to ministers on the recommendation of the Union Home Ministry.

AAP's Delhi Convenor, Gopal Rai made the announcement saying that it is "a step ahead to strengthen the party in Delhi". "We are appointing them as prabharis in order to further strengthen the party at the booth level. They will focus on further building up the organisation in the respective Lok Sabha seats," he said.

Sources in the party said that the prabharis will first make lists of issues in their respective constituencies and apprise the leadership about them. "The idea is to connect the booth level workers with the top leadership through them. There was so much resentment among the party volunteers and booth level workers during the Delhi civic polls as they were finding it difficult to connect with the leadership. Now, the party wants to leave no stone unturned," a party official said.

While Marlena will look after East Delhi, Chadha has been assigned the charge of South Delhi. The other three leaders appointed for the seats are -- Pankaj Gupta for Chandni Chowk, Dilip Pandey for North-East Delhi and Guggan Singh Ranga for North-West Delhi.

Meanwhile, party's move to not to appoint prabharis at other two parliamentary constituencies -- New Delhi and West Delhi-- has raised speculations on its intention of alliance with the Congress.

However, earlier in the day, Congress Delhi Chief Ajay Maken launched an attack at the AAP on Twitter saying, "On 'so called' offer of AAP to Congress for 3 seats, look at my reply to Kejriwal! When the people of Delhi are continuously rejecting Kejriwal Govt, why should we come to their rescue? After all, Kejriwal with team Anna supported by RSS, helped in creating this monster of Modi!"

Senior AAP leader Dilip Pandey reacting to Maken's comment said, "Maken ji, several senior Congress leaders are in AAP's contact and they want our support in Haryana, Delhi and Punjab. They are asking us for a seat in Delhi."

ROADMAP TO POWER

AAP’s Delhi Convenor, Gopal Rai announced that it is “a step ahead to strengthen the party in Delhi”. Party sources said the prabharis will make lists of issues in their respective Assembly constituencies