Chandigarh, Sep 17 (IANS) Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday announced key organisational appointments, including the replacement of its legislator Harmeet Pathanmajra, who has been on the run for over two weeks after being booked in a rape case.

The party said the appointments were aimed at strengthening its organisational base at the grassroots.

Ranjodh Singh Hadana has been appointed as the halka in-charge for Sanour, the assembly constituency represented by Pathanmajra.

Also, four new state observers have been appointed to oversee and guide party activities across the state.

The newly appointed observers are Adil Ahmad Khan, Gayatri Bishnoi, Ritesh Khandelwal, and Asit Kumar. The party has also appointed Halqa Sangathan in-charges for 27 constituencies and a Trade Wing Halka Coordinator for the Kharar constituency to strengthen its grassroots presence.

Vinod Kapoor has been appointed as the Kharar Trade Wing Halka Coordinator.

On the new appointments, AAP Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia said: “AAP’s strength lies in its strong and committed organisational network. These appointments will give a fresh boost to our party’s work on the ground. I am confident that our new team will reach every household, connect with people directly, and take forward AAP’s model of honest politics and good governance.”

Congratulating the newly appointed leaders, AAP Punjab President Aman Arora said: “Punjab today needs leaders who work selflessly for the people. These appointments mark another step in our commitment to provide clean, accountable, and people-centric leadership. I wish all the appointees the very best and urge them to dedicate themselves fully to strengthening the party and serving the people of Punjab.”

Pathanmajra had fled from his relative’s house at Dabri village in Haryana’s Karnal on September 2, minutes after a Punjab Police team arrived to arrest him in connection with a rape case.

Pathanmajra, a first-time MLA, has been denying police claims that bullets were fired at the team which had come to arrest him. In two video messages released from an undisclosed location, Pathanmajra hit out at AAP’s central leadership, alleging that he was being targeted by the “Delhi lobby” and had to flee after learning that he would be killed in a “fake encounter”.

He had criticised his own government over the handling of floods in Patiala. He accused senior officials of the Irrigation Department, including a senior IAS officer, of ignoring repeated requests to desilt rivers to prevent flooding in villages.

–IANS

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