‘Will tell people what they lost by not electing AAP’: Isudan Gadhvi takes over as Gujarat party unit chief

About the upcoming campaign, he said, “The campaign will tell the people that if the AAP was in power, by March 1 they would have got free electricity… Ministers are not affected if a party is elected to power or not, but the common people are. Kejriwal is not affected, he is the Chief Minister of Delhi, but it is the people of Gujarat who still do not have free electricity, and are affected by paper leaks… There is no increment in the grade-pay as well.”

On why the party could not come to power, Gadhvi said, “People could not place their trust (in the party), thinking that Kejriwal is new… Even then, we got 41 lakh votes,” explaining that similar trends were seen in Delhi and Punjab, when the party contested elections for the first time in the respective states. The party subsequently came to power in both Delhi and Punjab.

આજરોજ આમ આદમી પાર્ટી પ્રદેશ કાર્યાલય ખાતે ગુજરાતના નવનિયુક્ત પ્રદેશ અધ્યક્ષ માનનનીય @isudan_gadhvi જીએ વિધિવત રીતે કાર્યાલય ખાતે પૂજા-અર્ચના કરી કાર્યભાર સંભાળ્યો.. pic.twitter.com/D97YZSURcr

— AAP Gujarat (@AAPGujarat) January 16, 2023

Reviewing the AAP’s performance in the Gujarat Assembly elections held in December 2022, Gadhvi said, ” ‘A third front will not work in Gujarat’ – ideas like this used to do the rounds. But the entry of the AAP, the election of five MLAs and bagging of 41 lakh votes have proven that a front that is strong and wants to become the voice of people can work.” According to him, no party has secured as many seats in its debut electoral attempt in the state.

Earlier this month, Gadhvi was made AAP state president replacing Gopal Italia, who was appointed as the national general joint secretary and co-incharge of the Maharashtra unit of the AAP to strengthen its base ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections this year. The party also divided the state unit into six zones and appointed working presidents for each zone. Alpesh Kathiria has been appointed the working president for Surat and Chaitar Vasava for South Gujarat, besides Ramesh Patel (North Gujarat), Jagmal Vala (Saurashtra), Jewel Vasra (Central Gujarat) and Kailash Gadhvi (Kutch).

Gadhvi and other appointed working state presidents will plan the functioning of the party in the state. In the next six months, the party’s organisation will be strengthened at the village, city, taluka and district levels, and office-bearers will be assigned responsibilities for the upcoming polls in gram panchayats, taluka panchayats, municipalities, municipal corporations, as well as the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and finally the 2027 state Assembly elections, Gadhvi said. The list for committees at village, city and taluka levels will be soon released by the party along with the set of responsibilities.

Projecting a strong show by the AAP in 2027, Gadhvi said questions were raised if the party could even field candidates in all 182 Assembly constituencies in the recent polls. “The AAP has formed government in two places (Delhi and Punjab) within 10 years of its existence. In the history of India, no party has been able to achieve that,” he pointed out.

Before every election, the party will appoint a regional in-charge. District tours will also be held every 15 days under Gadhvi’s presidency. The party will form 52,000 booth samitis, gram samitis (village) and vote samitis.

Asked about the party’s stand on those who have allegedly worked against it, Gadhvi said appropriate steps will be taken against those who intentionally worked against the party.

“Wherever our organisation is relatively new, those districts will be targeted, and those capable but not assigned any responsibility by the party before will be given charge,” said Gadhvi, adding that in the next six months, as many as 33 committees will be created at various levels.

He emphasised that the party was in Gujarat not to lose or win, but to work for the people, whether the people support them or not. “Someday, they will become aware… and our five MLAs will raise their voice for the 6.5 crore people. The performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will depend on the people, but we will leave no stone unturned. After a year, presidents will be appointed for Lok Sabha elections, the party will fight on all 26 seats,” stated Gadhvi.