After Arora’s exit, AAP set to induct industrialist Nitin Kohli

City-based industrialist Nitin Kohli is set to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday. He is likely to be projected as its halqa in-charge from Jalandhar Central Assembly seat, after the recent arrest of party MLA Raman Arora by the Vigilance Bureau.

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Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Punjab AAP in-charge Manish Sisodia will be at the Punjab Press Club in Jalandhar tomorrow afternoon for Kohli’s formal induction. One of the leading sports goods manufacturers from Jalandhar, Kohli is one of the directors in Hike Creations, Hike Shoe and Airwings Holidays Private Limited companies.

Though Kohli had not joined any party earlier, he has had good relations with leaders of various political parties. Since AAP took over in Punjab, he had reportedly been supporting the party from the side. He had openly supported the candidature of Vaneet Dhir when AAP was to pick the mayoral candidate in January this year, post the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation polls. His close proximity to AAP Rajya Sabha member Ashok Mittal is well-known.

Kohli has also served as the president of Hockey Punjab for eight years and was often seen along with former Indian hockey player and Congress minister Pargat Singh. Known to be a good poll manager, he is also learnt to have been the backbone of former Union Minister of State and BJP MP from Hoshiarpur Som Parkash. The industrialist had also supported the candidature of Sushil Rinku when he had contested as the BJP candidate from Jalandhar parliamentary seat in May last year.

Kohli joining AAP at this juncture has surely spoiled the plans of those who had been expecting to replace Raman Arora from the Jalandhar Central seat. A front-runner among those who had been eyeing the seat was Deepak Bali, who got appointed as Advisor to Punjab’s Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department two months back.

Kohli was reportedly in Mussoorie to attend a wedding when he was called back to take over the reins. His appointment at this point of time is also giving an indication that the party aims to seek the resignation of Arora from MLAship and get into bypoll mode. Jalandhar has already seen two bypolls, including the Lok Sabha bypoll in 2023 and Jalandhar West Vidhan Sabha bypoll in 2024.