The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced Gopal Italia as its candidate for the upcoming Visavadar Assembly bypolls in Gujarat. The decision was confirmed by AAP's national general secretary, Sandeep Pathak, on Sunday.
The Visavadar constituency falls within the Junagadh district and is part of the Junagadh Lok Sabha constituency.
Gopal Italia, who previously served as the party's Gujarat chief, is expected to strengthen AAP's position in the state. The announcement comes at a time when AAP is seeking to expand its influence in Gujarat, following its modest success in the 2022 Assembly elections.
In those elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a landslide victory, winning 156 out of 182 seats, while the Congress managed only 16 seats. AAP made its presence felt by winning five seats, marking its entry into Gujarat's political landscape.
To strengthen its strategy in Gujarat, AAP has appointed Gopal Rai as the state in-charge. Rai is tasked with formulating political strategies to expand AAP's reach in the state.
The reshuffling within AAP comes after its significant loss to the BJP in the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, where the BJP regained power after 27 years, securing 48 out of 70 seats. AAP's seat count dropped drastically from 62 to 22.
Alongside the Gujarat strategy, AAP has also made changes in its leadership across various states. Saurabh Bhardwaj, a former Delhi minister and MLA, has been appointed as the Delhi state chief, replacing Gopal Rai.
Bhardwaj will focus on countering the BJP-led government in the capital. Pankaj Gupta has been given charge of AAP's affairs in Goa, while Manish Sisodia will oversee the party's activities in Punjab.
These changes were decided during a meeting of the AAP Political Affairs Committee (PAC) held at the residence of party chief Arvind Kejriwal. The reshuffle reflects AAP's efforts to recover from its recent setbacks and strengthen its presence in states beyond its traditional base.
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