AAP leader Gopal Rai on 5-day visit to poll-bound U'Khand

Delhi Environment Minister and senior AAP leader Gopal Rai will be on a five-day visit to Uttarakhand from Saturday, during which he will address a series of public meetings and pitch for a "novel change" in the state ahead of the assembly polls in coming months. The AAP leader, who is expected to reach Uttarakhand on Friday evening, will also hold a series of meetings with his party workers and booth level leaders during his 5-day stay in the poll-bound state.

''Delhi's cabinet minister Gopal Rai will be on an important tour of Uttarakhand from January 8 to 13 in connection with the AAP's preparation for the 2022 assembly elections in the state," a party leader said.

The senior AAP leader, who is expected to address a press conference in Haldwani on January 8, is scheduled to participate in 'Nav Parivartan Sabha', organised by his party in Haldwani on January 10, Sitarganj on January 11, Rudrapur on January 12, in Ramnagar on January 13.

During his visit to the state, Rai will hold a series of booth level meetings with his party leaders and workers in Haldwani, Lalkuan, Sitarganj, Khatima, Khiccha, Rudrapur, Ramnagar and Jaspur. Speaking to PTI about his visit to the poll-bound state, Rai said, "Uttarkhand became a separate state after a long struggle of the people of the region but the objective with which they fought for it and made many sacrifices is yet to be achieved." "Since the formation of Uttarakhand as a separate state, only chief ministers have been changed, nothing else. There has been no qualitative change in the lives of the people there," he said.

To bring "this change", Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal held the party's first 'Nav Parivartan Sabha' (meeting for a novel change) in Dehradun on January 3, he said.

As part of the move, Rai said, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to organise a series of 'Nav Parivartan Sabha' in the state. "The next 'Nav Parivartan Sabha' is scheduled to be held in Haldwani on January 10," he added.

When asked about his party's poll prospects in Uttarakhand, he said the AAP has been receiving "a very good response" from the people of the state as both the Congress and the BJP, which is in power in the state at present, have only "disappointed" the people of the state during their regime.

"People of the state want change," he added.

Gearing up to make its electoral debut in Uttarakhand, the AAP has decided to contest on all 70 seats in the assembly polls to be held in coming months and has declared Col (retd) Ajay Kothiyal as its chief ministerial candidate.

Kothiyal, former principal of Uttarkashi-based Nehru Institute of Mountaineering who joined the AAP in April last year, is well known for his commendable work in the aftermath of the 2013-Kedarnath disaster.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)