Old party hand Priyanka Kakkar, key in building cadre, is now the AAP national spokesperson

Kakkar, who was serving as the unofficial spokesperson for the party, joined the AAP in 2013 and has since held several roles. She has worked her way up from a ground-level worker to a legal advisor, having been a practising lawyer herself. She also served as advisor to party MPs Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chaddha.

“The ideology and principles of the AAP inspired me to join the party in 2013 as a normal member. Amid political parties like the Congress and BJP, this was the party that talked about education and its importance for the future of the nation. This is what I liked about the party. It is a party of well-educated people,” Kakkar told The Indian Express.

Kakkar adds that the AAP “changed the face of education for the country”.

“This (AAP) is one party that, despite the hunger and poverty in the country, wanted to make education accessible to everyone. It talks about the people, the basic facilities that should be provided, and the responsibilities of an elected government,” she said.

Kakkar worked extensively in states like Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, among others to build the AAP cadre. She was also in charge of Kalkaji constituency, the Assembly seat represented by Atishi, the current education minister.

“I worked in 56 districts of Telangana during the municipal polls there in 2020. It was also when the party won the first councillor seat in any state outside Delhi. I worked at the ground level, and was involved with door-to-door campaigns by speaking to people, taking their feedback on the government’s functioning.”

As per party sources, Kakkar has been a crucial player in increasing the party’s footprint in various states. “She has been brought to closely manage the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections,” said a party member.

On the Lok Sabha elections, which will be important for the AAP given its involvement in conversations of Opposition unity, she said: “We will work on the ground level. More old and new faces will soon be seen on the ground.”

“Everything is new for me as well. It will take me a day or two to understand and then I will come with the strategy to work in Delhi and across the states ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. I am very thankful for this huge responsibility,” added Kakkar.

Kakkar, a Delhi native, completed her master’s in law from the University of Pennsylvania. She went on to work in Singapore for sometime. She has been a lawyer for the last 17 years.