Chandigarh, Sept. 18 -- Ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday appointed former Akali minister Surjit Singh Rakhra as the party's halqa in-charge for Samana in Patiala district.

The appointment, announced by AAP's Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia and state president Aman Arora four months after Rakhra switched to the AAP from the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), has triggered speculation that he may be fielded from the constituency. Chetan Singh Jouramajra is the sitting AAP legislator from Samana. The party also appointed Balvir Singh (Pala Jalalpur), a kabaddi player, as halqa in-charge for Shahkot. He joined the AAP in April this year.

The state assembly elections are due early next year.

Rakhra ...