AAP nat'l executive meet discusses strategy, expansion plans

New Delhi, Feb 27: AAP yesterday held its first national executive meeting, following its landslide victory in the Delhi Assembly polls in which party leaders discussed its future course of action and expansion plans.

However, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is AAP national convener, and his deputy Manish Sisodia did not attend the meeting as they were busy with government work, AAP sources said. The meeting, which was attended by AAP leaders from various states, also saw discussion on whether the party should contest polls in other states.

AAP leaders from across the country assessed the impact of the Delhi poll victory in their regions. The sources, however, added that it has been in-principle decided that the party would not contest elections in any other state as of now and will focus on party building. However, there was an opinion within the party whether to contest in Bihar, which will go to polls later this year, but a decision on this would be taken in the National Council meeting next month.

AAP leaders from across the country and state conveners attended the meeting, which started around 11 am and ended late night, the sources said. This is AAP's first national executive meeting after the Delhi Assembly polls. The last such meeting was held in Sangrur in Punjab, incidentally, after the Lok Sabha elections.

The one before that was held after AAP had formed the government for the first time in Delhi in January, 2014. While Kejriwal had said after taking charge in Delhi that the party would only focus on the national capital for the next five years, senior party leader Yogendra Yadav, in his interactions with the media, has said that AAP plans to focus on four to five other states too.

Another section within AAP is of the opinion that the party should focus on Punjab, a state which has four AAP MPs and a "strong anti-incumbency" factor against the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP combine.

PTI