Huge public response in favour of Ajay Kothiyal as AAP’s CM face for Uttarakhand: Kejriwal

After the announcement, Kejriwal with Kothiyal took out a road show called ‘Devbhumi sankalp yatra’ in Dehradun.

उत्तराखंड के अपने भाई-बहनों के साथ ‘देवभूमि संकल्प यात्रा’ | LIVE https://t.co/jz1WaUawtA

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 17, 2021

AAP had last month launched a campaign in the state to seek people’s opinion on Kothiyal as the chief ministerial face of the party in Uttarakhand.

Addressing reporters in Dehradun on Tuesday, Kejriwal said that the party has received an overwhelming public response in favour of Kothiyal. “People said they want a break from political parties and leaders…Now, we want a desh bhakt fauzi (patriotic Army man). People said that they want Ajay Kothiyal as their CM. This decision that Kothiyal will be made the CM candidate has been taken by the people,” Kejriwal said.

Col (retd) Ajay Kothiyal had joined AAP in April this year.

Earlier this month, AAP had announced the decision to field Kothiyal in the Gangotri Assembly bypolls. At that time, there had been speculations that the then CM Tirath Singh Rawat may contest the by-election in his effort to be elected as a member of the Uttarakhand Assembly.  But Rawat went on to resign as the CM and the bypoll to the Gangotri seat has not been announced yet.

Kejriwal also promised to make Uttarakhand a spiritual capital for Hindus and promote religious tourism in the state.

AAP has already announced its decision to contest all 70 seats in the Uttarakhand Assembly polls next year.