Calling it a “strategic decision”, the Aam Aadmi Party’s Goa convener, Elvis Gomes, has stepped down from the post in what appears to be a reshuffle in the party ahead of the Goa assembly elections, which are a year and some months away.
Addressing the media, Gomes said the decision will help him to work at the grassroots and strengthen the party.
“It is a strategic decision to step down. For four years, I was the convener and now the party’s work can be seen on the ground. Now there are many leaders in the party who can take on the administrative roles. The need is instead to work on the ground and to bring other good people into the party. So I have taken up that responsibility,” he said.
“I am also aware of the ground level situation and until we do not strengthen on the ground, our work will not go forward,” he added.
Gomes had quit as Goa Civil Service officer ahead of the 2017 Goa assembly elections and joined the AAP. In a short time, he was named the party’s convener.
His decision to step down comes barely weeks after the party’s general secretary in the state Pradeep Padgaonkar also stepped down on health grounds after he contracted Covid-19 and needed hospitalisation.
Gomes said that the two resignations despite coming within weeks of each other were not connected.
“There is no connection between the two resignations,” he said.
The charge as party’s convener has been given to Rahul Mhambrey, the party’s treasurer.
The AAP failed to win a single seat at the 2017 assembly elections in Goa with all but one of the party’s 40 candidates losing their deposits, including Gomes and Padgaonkar.
