New Delhi [India], March 23 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and in-charge for Gujarat, Gopal Rai, on Sunday said that they have started preparations for the upcoming assembly bypolls in Gujarat.
AAP has announced Gopal Italia as a candidate for Visavadar by-elections.
Speaking to ANI, Rai stated, "We have started preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat. This evening our leaders from Gujarat are meeting with AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi... In the upcoming days, bypolls will be held in Visavadar. We had won the Visavadar seat in the last election but to teach a lesson to the farmers who defeated the BJP from that seat, the BJP broke our MLA despite having a majority. The by-election on that seat was pending for one and a half years which is going to happen now. We have made Gopal Italia the candidate for this by-election."
Aam Aadmi Party has fielded former Gujarat party chief, Gopal Italia as its candidate for the Visavadar Assembly by-elections in Gujarat.
AAP's national general secretary, Sandeep Pathak, made this announcement on Sunday.
Visavadar assembly constituency is part of Junagadh district and a segment of Junagadh Lok Sabha constituency.
The last assembly elections in Gujarat were held in 2022 when BJP returned to power with a thumping win securing 156 out of 182 seats. Congress could only win 16 seats, while AAP marked its footprints in the state by winning 5 seats.
AAP has recently appointed Gopal Rai as the state in-charge of Gujarat to formulate the political strategies for the party in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party witnessed a major reshuffle after it lost its bastion in the national capital to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Apart from him, AAP also appointed former Delhi Minister and former MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj as the state chief of the Delhi unit of the party.
Bhardwaj has replaced Gopal Rai to formulate the political strategies for the party in Delhi to counter the BJP-led Delhi government.
Pankaj Gupta has been appointed as the state in-charge for AAP Goa while Manish Sisodia takes charge of Punjab.
This decision was made after a meeting of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting which was conducted at residence of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Aam Aadmi Party lost the recently concluded Delhi Legislative Assembly elections to BJP.
The BJP won a historic mandate in Delhi polls, returning to power in the national capital after 27 years by ousting AAP. It secured a two-thirds majority bagging 48 out of 70 seats, while AAP's tally saw a massive drop at 22 from its previous tally of 62.