The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has named Vinay Mishra, Dinesh Mohania, and Gaurav Sharma as additional co-incharges for Gujarat. This move follows the party’s efforts to strengthen its organizational structure in the state post a disappointing performance in the recent local body elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) maintained a strong hold in the state local body elections, winning all 15 municipal corporations in Gujarat.
The election data revealed that despite contesting over 5,000 seats, AAP did not secure significant wins. Surat, once a stronghold for AAP, witnessed a sharp decline in the party’s performance. In the 2021 civic polls, AAP emerged as the main opposition in the Surat Municipal Corporation with 27 seats, but in the 2026 elections, it only managed to secure four seats. This setback is viewed as a crucial challenge for AAP ahead of the 2027 state Assembly elections.
While AAP made some gains in rural areas, including opening its account in a district panchayat in Narmada, the party faced internal turmoil at the national level. Last month, seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs, such as Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak, defected to the BJP, reducing AAP’s strength in the Upper House to just three MPs. The recent organizational changes in Gujarat are part of AAP’s strategy to revamp its cadre and political presence in the state post the electoral losses.
