Former journalist Isudan Gadhvi is AAP’s CM candidate for Gujarat

Party chief Arvind Kejriwal said he was announcing the name of the next CM, not just the party candidate for the job.

AAP's CM candidate in Gujarat Isudan Gadhvi with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Friday. (Express Photo: Nirmal Harindran)

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal Friday announced Isudan Gadhvi, the AAP’s national joint general secretary and a former journalist, as the party’s chief ministerial candidate for Gujarat.

The AAP supremo said, “We don’t decide who will be the CM candidate while sitting in a room. Bhagwant Mann was chosen as CM not by the AAP but by Punjab’s public. At a time when it seems sure that the AAP will form the government, today we are not announcing the CM candidate of the AAP but announcing the CM for the next Gujarat government. Last week we invited public opinion, and 16,48,500 responses were received and 73 per cent of them named Isudanbhai Gadhvi.”

Also Read | Isudan Gadhvi: ‘AAP’s not a third party in Gujarat, but the party in Oppn… Cong never had a vote bank here’

The Delhi chief minister’s address started with the bursting of crackers, followed by a moment of silence for the Morbi bridge collapse victims.

After the announcement, Gadhvi embraced party colleagues such as Manoj Sorathiya and Yuvrajsinh Jadeja and got down from the stage to seek the blessings of his mother.

The state will go to the polls on December 1 and 5.

Gadhvi, an OBC, used to run a television show titled “Mahamanthan”. He quit as editor of VTV Gujarati last year to join the AAP. He had been approached by the BJP and the Congress as well, he told The Indian Express in an interview later.

A native of Jamkhambhaliya in Devbhumi Dwarka district of coastal Saurashtra, Gadhvi studied journalism and mass communication at Gujarat Vidyapith.

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Last month Gadhvi launched a yatra titled “Bas, Havey Parivartan Joiyiye” (enough, now we need a change) from Dwarka district. It is due to conclude on November 20, after covering 67 constituencies.

Sohini Ghosh

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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