Raghav Chadha was the co-architect of AAP's massive victory in Punjab.
Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party is planning to field a big youth leader to spearhead its campaign in Gujarat ahead of the elections, sources have said. There is speculation that the leader is likely to be Raghav Chadha, who was the co-architect of the party's massive victory in Punjab earlier this year.
Mr Chadha has worked in important positions both in Delhi and Punjab. The party also sees him as a very popular face among the young generation.
Gujarat, where elections are due later this year, is the next big target of AAP, which already rules in Delhi and Punjab. Over the last months, Arvind Kejriwal has made multiple visits to the state, with promises of jobs for all, free power and water and improvements in health and education sectors which have so far worked for the party. 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.
It is not yet known whom the party will field as its face in Gujarat, where the BJP has been ruling for the better part of the last three decades.
Despite multiple questions, Mr Kejriwal or his key leaders have maintained silence on the issue, a pattern they had followed in Punjab.
Under pressure from the Congress, Mr Kejriwal, however, had announced the name of Bhagwant Mann shortly before the elections. His party even held a telephonic poll and announced that Mr Mann had the approval of a huge section of voters.
AAP had made its debut in Gujarat in the 2017 state election, but failed to win 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.