Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced Colonel Ajay Kothiyal as the party’s chief ministerial face in Uttarakhand ahead of the 2022 elections in the state.
Col Kothiyal, a veteran of the Indian Army and former principal of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi, had joined AAP on April 20 this year.
The AAP had decided to field Kothiyal – known for his role in the reconstruction of Kedarnath after the 2013 floods – in the by-election from Gangotri assembly constituency, where then chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat could contest from there. However, Tirath resigned from the post of CM and the by-election has not been announced yet.
Kothiyal is a well-known face and has a very good reputation. “Apart from being a graceful soldier, his work in training the youth for recruitment in the armed forces was appreciated by all. He will be a huge asset to the party,” the AAP leader was quoted as saying by The Pioneer on condition of anonymity.
Before joining AAP, Kothiyal wrote on Facebook that he has decided to “make a big decision” after meeting a disabled youth at a cafe. “This 23-year-old young man walks on crutches but acts with enthusiasm. He told me what the people of Uttarakhand expect from me. His questions and passion have inspired me to take a big decision.”
Kejriwal said the decision to choose Ajay Kothiyal as the party’s CM face was based on the feedback received from those who are fed up with the politicians who brought the state to power.
“People here want a break from those politicians who have only looted the state. They now want a soldier as CM who will not spend his tenure filling his coffers but will serve him,” the Delhi Chief Minister was quoted as saying by PTI.
Kothiyal rose to prominence in 2013 when he trained 30 youth with the help of a trainer, of whom 28 were recruited into the Garhwal Rifles. The news spread and more candidates contacted him, due to which he started a non-profit trust in 2015 – Youth Foundation which runs six camps in different districts of Uttarakhand.
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