AAP conclave: Raghav Chadha to lead election campaign in Gujarat

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, September 18

The Aam Aadmi Party’s first-ever “Rashtriya Jan Pratinidhi Sammelan” in New Delhi today had two important takeaways for the party’s government in Punjab.

One, Rajya Sabha member and co in-charge of Punjab affairs Raghav Chadha will now channel his energies in Gujarat as he has been made the co in-charge of the politically sensitive and poll-bound state.

The new assignment is expected to keep him busy in the Prime Minister’s native state, where AAP is emerging as a challenger to the BJP, for the next couple of months, thus robbing the Opposition a chance of accusing the ruling party of running the affairs of the government through him and other Delhi-based AAP leaders.

There have been speculations of a turf war between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Chadha in the past. The CM, however, has denied such speculations. Chadha was appointed the chairman of the state’s advisory committee in July.

Two, the growing clout of Finance Minister Harpal Cheema in AAP. During the function, he was seated on the dais with party convener Arvind Kejriwal and other senior leaders.

CM Mann was expected to attend the function, but he apparently “missed” his flight from Germany last night because of an “emergent health condition”. Some said he had reportedly boarded the flight, but had to deplane later.

Given this scenario, senior-most Cabinet minister Cheema was seen rubbing shoulders with top leaders in New Delhi.

He was assigned the important task of exposing “Operation Lotus” last week.

The exposé against the BJP was brought out in the open when the Chief Minister was on an official tour to Germany to seek investment for Punjab. Mann addressed the conclave virtually.

The AAP leadership is reportedly happy with him for having presented the Budget within three months of the party coming to power. Cheema gaining prominence at the AAP conclave created a buzz in the corridors of power, while the physical absence of Mann was also a matter of discussion.

RS member at the helm

The new assignment is expected to keep Raghav Chadha busy in the PM’s native state, where AAP is emerging as a challenger to the BJP, for a couple of months. This means that the Opposition will be robbed of a chance of accusing the ruling party of running the affairs through him and other Delhi-based AAP leaders.

Kejriwal meets MLAs

It has been learnt that Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting with Punjab MLAs after the party’s conclave in Delhi. The situation arising out of the“Operation Lotus” and leaked audio tapes of minister Fauja Singh Sarari were reportedly discussed. MLAs Gurinder Singh Garry Birring, Amarpal Singh and Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh were conspicuous by their absence.

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