AAP sets eyes on J&K; revamping organisation structure in UT ahead of assembly polls [details]

As the Election Commission of India has initiated some steps to conduct the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday dissolved its Jammu and Kashmir unit to revamp the organization structure in the Union Territory ahead of the polls.

Buoyed by the joining of some prominent political faces in the party, AAP leadership has decided to accommodate new entrants into the organization.

"Jammu & Kashmir is ready to welcome the change. Aam Aadmi Party has grown immensely in the region in the recent past. To strengthen the organization, all current units in Jammu and Kashmir are dissolved with immediate effect. The new organization will be announced soon", Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who is the election in-charge of Jammu province tweeted.

Bains has recently visited different parts of Jammu province and interacted with office bearers and other senior leaders of the party.

AAP is focussing on coming assembly elections in J&K

After joining some prominent political persons, the AAP leadership is trying to strengthen its base in J&K in general and Jammu province in particular.

Delhi Food and Civil Supply Minister, Imran Hussain, who is the election in-charge of Kashmir Valley, admitted without hesitation that the J&K unit has been dissolved in view of coming assembly polls in the UT.

"In view of upcoming elections and completion of delimitation in J&K, AAP is in process of formation of its organization till village/booth level in J&K," Hussain, who is informed on Twitter.
"All current units in Jammu and Kashmir are dissolved with immediate effect. New AAP-J&K organization will be announced soon," he added.

In a statement, the party said the decision to dissolve its Jammu and Kashmir unit has been taken as part of its expansion plan across the country.

The party has moved in to restructure its Jammu and Kashmir unit with the election commission setting in motion the process of holding assembly polls in the Union territory.

Party gets a big boost in its expansion plan in J&K

With the joining of three former legislators of the Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party, AAP has already received a big boost in its expansion plan in Jammu and Kashmir.

Three-time MLA and former education minister Harsh Dev Singh joined the AAP on May 7 along with nearly 100 members including some elected Panchayat members.

Before joining Harsh Dev Singh, two former legislators of the party Balwant Singh Mankotia and Yash Paul Kundal joined the party in New Delhi on April 10.

Along with them, more than 100 local leaders, including village heads, and members of the block development council (BDC) and district development council (DDC), also joined the party in the presence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Environment Minister Gopal Rai.

Mankotia is a two-time MLA from Udhampur and resigned from the Panthers Party in February 2021, citing a "family issue". Kundal, another Panthers Party leader, is also a two-time MLA and former minister.

DDC member Taranjit Singh Tony and former Congress leader Surinder Singh Shingari were among the prominent faces who joined the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

ECI initiates the process of reviewing electoral rolls

Amid reports that the BJP-led government is going to conduct the maiden assembly elections in J&K, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has written a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of J&K to conduct a special summary revision of electoral rolls.

The ECI has asked the J&K government to complete the process by October 31, 2022, with the final publication of electoral rolls.