The AAP has appointed its senior leader and Rajya Sabha member Sandeep Pathak as national general secretary (organisation), after it recently became eligible for national party status.
Pathak was the party's election in-charge for Punjab as well as for Gujarat, where assembly polls were held this month. In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) wrested the state from the Congress in polls held in March.
Though the Arvind Kejriwal-headed AAP had won only five of the 182 seats in the Gujarat polls, it got a nearly 13 per cent vote share.
On the party's performance, Kejriwal had said that the AAP has not won many seats but the votes the party got helped it attain national party status.
"The party hereby appoints Shri @SandeepPathak04 as the Rashtriya Sangathan Mahamantri (National General Secretary Organisation). He will also be a Permanent Invitee to the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of AAP. Congratulations on your new role!" the party tweeted from its official handle.
Sources in the AAP also said the appointment has been made eyeing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Quoting provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, a former Election Commission official had said that a party needs State Party status in four states to automatically become a national party.
The AAP is already a recognised state party in Delhi, Goa and Punjab. It is in power in Delhi and Punjab.
A party needs eight per cent of votes in a state to get State Party status, he had said.
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