Gujarat CM face later, tremors in AAP: Rebel leader says party helping BJP

AAP put up a brave face, with its Gujarat chief Gopal Italia accusing Rajyaguru, its former national secretary, of acting out of pique. Sources said the party was preparing a strong counter to his accusations.

Among the richest MLAs in the Gujarat Assembly at one time, Rajyaguru, a Brahmin leader, had been fielded by the Congress against then sitting chief minister Vijay Rupani of the BJP in 2017, and lost. On Friday, the Congress rolled out its big guns – AICC state in-charge Raghu Sharma, state chief Jagdish Thakor and Leader of Opposition Sukhram Rathwa – to welcome him back to the party.

Addressing the press conference at the AICC Delhi headquarters Saturday, Rajyaguru also claimed to have questioned AAP on money it had recently acquired, and not got a satisfactory response.

Italia said Rajyaguru had been hoping to be declared the CM face of AAP, and also “pressuring” the party to give tickets to 15 of his people. “Among these 15, there are a few who have been announced as candidates… The members of our party are driven by ideology, and back AAP for it. They will remain in the party for the same reasons,” Italia told The Indian Express.

At the Delhi press conference, Rajyaguru dismissed the whole exercise by AAP to pick a CM face, claiming the name had been already decided six months back.

He also said that the 15 names suggested by him were “strong candidates” who were not fielded, and instead tickets were given to weaker contenders so as to “help the BJP”. “I was told, ‘Don’t be stubborn, the list comes from Kamalam (the BJP office in Gujarat)’.”

On his return to the Congress, Rajyaguru said: “I had joined AAP to defeat the BJP, not the Congress.”

AICC leader Raghu Sharma also alleged collusion between the BJP and AAP for the Assembly polls and claimed cash had been brought to the state in a chartered plane.

Congress media department head Pawan Khera said Rajyaguru had become disillusioned with AAP, adding: “When we call them (AAP) the B-team of the BJP, why do they get upset?”

One of the leaders AAP might be worried about now is Chetan Raval, who had joined the party from the Congress in the presence of Rajyaguru. Asked about his next course of action, Raval said there was no question of his leaving AAP. “I am here impressed by AAP’s work and ideology. I am here to stay. Neither am I looking to contest elections… Had that been the case, I would have tried in the Congress. I am here to work and strengthen AAP in whatever way I can,” Raval said.

He added that he didn’t want to speculate about more. “I do not know what is being said by anyone in the party on (Rajyaguru’s exit), nor I know why such a thing happened.”

AAP had announced Gadhvi, its national joint general secretary and first-time MLA, as CM face, saying he was picked by an overwhelming “73% of the 16.48 lakh people” who responded to its call to help pick a CM candidate.

Earlier, AAP had announced Bhagwant Mann as its CM candidate following a similar exercise in Punjab. Reportedly 93% of 21.6 lakh people in Punjab picked Mann in a poll. Now Punjab CM, Mann was present when Kejriwal announced Gadhvi’s name.

Mann underlined that he and Gadhvi had a lot in common, both being public figures prior to politics. Mann was a comedian and actor, and Gadhvi a reporter and a TV news anchor.

“We are common people… aam gharon se hai hum (from humble homes). I am a teacher’s son. Isudanbhai’s family background is similar to mine,” he said.