Mr Chadha has worked in important positions both in Delhi and Punjab.

New Delhi:

In what many see as a reward for a thumping electoral victory in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party today appointed MP Raghav Chadha as its co-incharge for the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections. Mr Chadha was also the co-architect for the Punjab victory earlier this year when AAP bagged a formidable 79 per cent majority by winning 92 out of 117 seats

Whispers of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party looking to field a big youth leader to spearhead its campaign in Gujarat were doing the rounds earlier too, with Mr Chadha featuring prominently as the probable face of the party. 

Mr Chadha has worked in important positions both in Delhi and Punjab. The party also sees him as a very popular face among the youth, which it is courting with promises of a better future with better education, jobs, and business opportunities.

A win in Gujarat, where elections are due later this year, is critical for the party to realise its national aspirations. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal has made multiple visits to the state, even pulling his deputy along, to showcase his ‘Delhi model’ of development. The party has promised jobs for all, free power and water, and improvements in health and education sectors. AAP has also announced fixed salary for village heads.

Mr Kejriwal has been pitching AAP as the main rival of the BJP — a space so far occupied by the Congress.

“There are people who don’t want BJP rule in the state, and they also don’t like voting for the Congress. We have to get their votes as we are the only alternative to BJP in the State,” he was quoted as saying to members of his state unit.

AAP had made its debut in Gujarat in the 2017 state election, but failed to win even a single seat.

The Congress had put up a strong challenge to the BJP, winning 77 of the state’s 182 seats. The BJP ended up with a tally of 99 after a suspense-filled topsy-turvy counting day.