Lok Sabha polls: AAP to appoint 2.5 lakh block pramukhs

New Delhi: Emulating BJP’s successful ‘Panna Pramukh’ model, the Aam Aadmi Party has devised a strategy to appoint around 2.5 lakh ‘Block Pramukhs’ for deep and direct engagement with voters ahead of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled next year.

The appointment of pramukhs, who would cover 25,000 polling booths in Delhi,  is expected to be complete by November, AAP’s Delhi unit convenor Gopal Rai told reporters here on Friday.

AAP has already announced names of the leaders in charge of five of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, who have started preparing for the elections even as their official candidature is yet to be announced by the top leadership.

Mr Rai said the Block Pramukhs will be a key element in party’s strategy to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

“Each Block Pramukh will be responsible to establish communication with 25 households in each polling booth,” Mr Rai said.

The AAP’s strategy is similar to Panna Pramukh model of the BJP under which one party worker is responsible to take care of voters listed on one page of the electoral roll of a polling booth and to ensure their participation in voting.

The party has replaced “inactive” members of mandal (polling station) and booth level committees. The new booth committees comprising at least 10 members are being formed, said Rai who is also a minister in the Delhi government.

He said the AAP will soon come out with names of the leaders in charge of two remaining Lok Sabha seats - New Delhi and West Delhi — in the national capital. “We have been approached by 8-10 prominent personalities seeking to contest on party ticket from these constituencies. The names are expected to be announced in the coming week,” he said.