Kumar Vishwas replaced with Deepak Bajpai as AAP's in-charge for Raj polls

The AAP today said that Deepak Bajpai has replaced Kumar Vishwas as the party's in-charge for the Rajasthan Assembly elections as he was not able to devote time in the state, further sidelining the dissident leader.

The step was taken this week by AAP's top decision-making body-- the Political Affairs Committee, senior party Ashutosh said.

Elections in Rajasthan are due later this year.

"Deepak Bajpai will be the in-charge of the Assembly elections in Rajasthan. Kumar Vishwas was not able to devote time for election preparations due to his preoccupations," Ashutosh said.

He said the AAP will contest the assembly polls in Rajasthan with full strength.

Vishwas has been openly critical of the AAP leadership specially after he lost out in the Rajya Sabha nominations in January. He recently attacked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the former's apology in defamation cases.

He was made the Rajasthan in-charge last year and was asked to build the organisation in the state. During the same time, Vishwas crossed swords with the party's top brass on a host of issues including Rajya Sabha nominations.

He also alleged that he was not getting any kind of support from the leadership for the state polls.

Without naming anyone, the poet-politician, in his characteristic style, tweeted verses today which said that he will not be bogged down by such "conspiracies" and will continue to speak the truth.

Vishwas' removal was a mere formality as he had stopped working in the state and his replacement is yet another signal of his diminishing clout in the organisation.

Bajpai, the AAP's national treasurer who is known to be close to Kejriwal, was then deputed to the state.

Ashutosh said he has been residing in the state for more than a month and has extensively toured the state.

Bajpai, a TV journalist-turned politician, is one of strategists in the party and had also successfully led the AAP's campaign in Bawana by-poll.

Besides preparing a plan for Rajasthan polls, Bajpai will also prepare a list of candidates for the elections and it will be finalised by the PAC, Ashutosh said.