Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has appointed Sucha Singh Chhotepur as the state convener of Punjab. In its meeting of the Political Affairs Committee, the party also announced that Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann will be the chief of campaign committee of Punjab.
Chhotepur lost from the Gurdaspur constituency on AAP ticket in the recently held Lok Sabha elections. Always associated with the radical fringe of Sikh politics, he had been associated with Sikh militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhinderawale and known Khalistan supporter Simranjit Singh Mann, before having a brief stint with Congress.
Chhotepur was the minister for Health and Tourism in the Surjit Singh Barnala led Akali government but resigned, along with Captain Amarinder Singh and Sukhjinder Singh, in protest against the Operation Black Thunder, police action to oust militants holed up in the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar.
The decision to make him a convener has come as a surprise to many of the party supporters divided in many camps in the state. The senior leaders of the party including its four MPs and those who contested and lost the Lok Sabha elections have been involved in a power struggle within the party leading to much delay in the formation of party organisational structure in the state. This is also said to be one of the major factors leading to the dismal performance of the party candidates in the assembly by-elections.