MCD result fallout: Gopal Rai set to be appointed as AAP’s Delhi convener

Delhi labour minister will succeed Dilip Pandey who resigned from the post of Delhi convener after AAP lost in MCD election result on Wednesday.

Delhi labour minister Gopal Rai is likely to be the next convener of Aam Aadmi Party in the Capital.

Delhi labour minister Gopal Rai speaking to media after MCD election result on Wednesday.(Burhaan Kinu/HT Photo)

Party sources said the decision was taken at a review meeting of AAP called by chief minister at his residence on Thursday, following party’s rout in the MCD elections.

Incumbent AAP Delhi convener, Dilip Pandey, had resigned from the post on Wednesday evening, which was accepted by Kejriwal, party’s national convener.

Party sources said the decision to appoint Rai will be finalised in a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee, which is likely to be held later in the day.

Earlier in the day, AAP’s Punjab in-charge Sanjay Singh and co-observer Durgesh Pathak also announced that they were giving up the posts in a string of resignations after AAP was rejected in the MCD elections.

AAP, which had won 67 out of the 70 seats during the 2015 Assembly elections, managed to win only 48 seats out of the 270 in the municipal elections. Its vote share fell from 54 per cent in the 2015 assembly elections to 26 per cent.

Kejriwal called a meeting of all MLAs on Thursday to discuss party’s performance in polls, including issues such as EVM tampering.

“The party arrived at a conclusion that all legislators will go back to people and try to gauge public opinion. They will have to seek feedback on what went wrong,” said AAP MLA Vishesh Ravi.

“The EVM issue also came up for discussion. The party will decide on its future course of action. Currently, related evidences are being gathered for the purpose,” he said.