CHANDIGARH: Aman Arora, Punjab’s New and Renewable Energy Minister, has been appointed as the new president of the state unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), replacing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Amansher Singh alias, Sherry Kalsi the MLA from Batala, has been named the vice president.The announcement was made by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who shared the decision on social media platform X. “Today, I have handed over the responsibility of the party presidency to two of my close associates, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora and MLA Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi. I am confident that both will strengthen the party and take it to new heights in Punjab,” Mann wrote.Arora’s appointment as the state party president has been expected for some time. His elevation is seen as part of AAP’s strategy to attract Hindu voters, a key demographic currently being courted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With approximately 38 percent of the state’s population identifying as Hindu, Arora’s leadership is seen as a move to counter the BJP’s growing influence, particularly after the party secured 18 percent of the vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections compared to AAP’s 26.2 percent. In contrast, in the 2022 assembly elections, AAP secured 42 percent of the vote share, while the BJP managed only 6.6 percent.Arora’s appointment follows Chief Minister Mann’s decision to step down from the party presidency due to his preoccupation with his duties as CM. Mann, who had served as state president since 2019, had previously expressed a desire to relinquish the position, citing the need to focus on his role as the Chief Minister. The decision was made after a meeting of the AAP Parliamentary Affairs Committee in Delhi, which was held the day after the by-elections to four Punjab assembly seats. Arora, a two-time MLA, is known for his organizational skills and is seen as capable of strengthening the party’s grassroots presence. His leadership in the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, where he won with the highest margin, further underscores his credibility.
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