The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) convoy is increasing day by day in Gujarat with eminent personalities joining the party. The AAP has been trying to make inroads into Gujarat since its inception in 2013. In 2021, led by its Gujarat president Gopal Italia, AAP fielded 469 candidates for 576 seats in six municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar. While the party couldn’t manage to win even a single seat in the remaining five corporations, it won 27 seats in Surat, replacing Congress as the main opposition to the ruling BJP in the Surat Municipal Corporation.
The AAP has succeeded in inducting two influential people - journalist Isudan Gadhvi and philanthropist businessman Mahesh Samani - in the presence of Delhi chief minister and party chief Arvind Kejriwal and deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
Gadhvi, a former news anchor for a regional channel, said he quit his job in the media since his power to help people was limited as a journalist. “Power lies with the elected political leaders. I have joined politics to remove the dirt in the system,” he said. Savani is known for organising mass weddings for orphaned woman. He also runs hostels for HIV positive girls in Surat. In May, he supplied hundreds of generators in the villages in Saurashtra region affected by Cyclone Tauktae. “I have joined politics to replicate my work in Surat across Gujarat. I was impressed with the AAP government’s style of running schools in Delhi during my visit to the Capital,” he said.
Samani’s induction into AAP is said to have shocked the BJP, which had been trying to woo him for a long time. He belongs to the Leuva Patel community which is highly influential in Surat and the southern districts of Gujarat.
Political observers believe that the AAP has decent chances to get its foot in the door in Surat, the epicentre of the Patidar community’s massive agitation in 2016 demanding reservation. The AAP had made a smart move to field the leaders of Patidar Andolan Samiti (PAS) on its ticket in the corporation election after the Congress refused to give them election tickets. As a result, AAP made inroads in Surat while Congress was wiped out.
Last week AAP leaders were allegedly attacked by a mob in Junagadh district. The incident took place during a campaign tour as the AAP is looking to expand its presence in states like Gujarat and Punjab, where Assembly elections will be held next year. Kejriwal tweeted, “If people like Isudan and Maheshbhai are being attacked, nobody is safe in Gujarat. This violence is your frustration and is your defeat. Win the hearts of the people by giving them facilities; don’t scare the opposition by
attacking them. They will not be afraid.” Both Gadhvi and Savani escaped unhurt, but one of
their leaders was injured in the attack.
He also spoke to CM Vijay Rupani, urging him to file an FIR against the miscreants. “Spoke to
Vijay Rupani ji. Urged him to file FIR, arrest the culprits, ensure strong action against culprits and ensure protection of AAP leaders and workers,” the Delhi CM tweeted. While both AAP and the Congress are confident of toppling the BJP this time in Narendra Modi’s backyard, it will be interesting to see how the new political equations and the new narratives take shape in Gujarat. A stronger AAP may eventually give a push to BJP to rise from its complacency.
