Ahead of Jalandhar MC polls, AAP’s Kohli, Mayor Dhir meet Kejriwal
Meeting seen as bid to steady party amid speculation of further exits in Jalandhar
Days after seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs joined the BJP and a day after the party held a mega meeting of observers and MLAs in Jalandhar, AAP’s Jalandhar Central halka in-charge Nitin Kohli and Mayor Vaneet Dhir on Thursday called on party supremo Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi.
With the Jalandhar MC elections due, the visit assumes significance amid speculation over other leaders — particularly councillors in the MC House, which has over 45 AAP members — possibly following the MPs’ exit. The meeting is being viewed as part of the AAP’s bid to keep its flock together.
The Mayor informed The Tribune that the meeting was a “courtesy call”. Kohli, a former protégé of MP Ashok Mittal, had played a key role in bringing Mayor Vaneet Dhir into the party fold.
He had proved crucial in the formation of an AAP-majority Municipal Corporation House in Jalandhar. An established businessman with several successful ventures, including in the sports sector, Kohli has also been instrumental in Mayor Dhir’s initiative to involve various business houses in the beautification of chowks and public spaces in the city.
The duo had recently led AAP protests outside Harbhajan Singh’s house and later marked their presence at a protest against the outgoing MPs in Jalandhar West. Kohli was also seen at the AAP mega meeting of block observers in Jalandhar on Wednesday before the two flew to Delhi the next day.
At the meeting with Kejriwal, Kohli presented the AAP convener with his signature gift — a set of four copies featuring Kejriwal’s face, accompanied by stationery items. It is part of Kohli’s ongoing campaign to dispense with the ‘bouquet culture’ by presenting stationery for schools and educational institutions — a vision he also shared with Kejriwal.
A communique issued after the meeting described the atmosphere as “highly cordial, positive, and result-oriented”. It said key issues concerning Punjab’s overall development, welfare-oriented policies, and strengthening the party at the grassroots level were discussed in detail.
Speaking to The Tribune, Dhir said, “Meeting with Kejriwal was just as a courtesy call. It was fruitful and detailed discussions were held on strengthening the organisational structure, increasing youth participation and enhancing the party’s outreach at the grassroots level.”
