Gujarat AAP wakes up from deep slumber
After Gujarat assembly election, Aam Aadmi Party in the state seemed to be lacking in enthusiasm. The party has now appointed well-known storyteller Chhote Morari Bapu as an office bearer. It has also announced a Special Frontal (Cell) for Saints under his leadership. According to insiders, more saints will join AAP soon. It appears that AAP aims to play the Hindutva card ahead of the Lok Sabha election by embracing seers who are dissatisfied with the BJP. On the other hand, AAP’s tally in Surat has now been reduced to 15 councillors as the rest of them have joined the BJP.
Jairaj Sinh Parmar gets BJP post, finally
Former prominent Congress leader in Gujarat Jairaj Sinh Parmar, who joined the BJP after raising issues against certain senior Congress leaders, had maintained he joined the saffron party with no demand of position or condition. However, according to sources, Parmar wanted to run for the Assembly 2022 as a BJP candidate from north Gujarat, but the party did not give him the ticket. Earlier, he wasn’t given an important position in the party during a reshuffle. Now, one year after joining the party, he has finally been appointed as Gujarat BJP’s co-spokesperson.
Musical chairs continue in state Congress
Gujarat Congress appears to be resurrecting itself after Shaktisinh Gohil was named the state president after the 2022 Assembly polls. Many leaders in the Aam Aadmi Party joined the Congress as soon as he became president. On Tuesday, he made attempts to get some significant social leaders to join the Congress and send a message that party in the state is alive and kicking. However, prominent Congress names are missing from his plans. While Shaktisinh seems to be uniting people in Congress, reports suggest that some disgruntled senior party officials are planning to rejoin the BJP before the Lok Sabha election.
Dilip Singh Kshatriya
Our correspondent in Gujarat
dilipsingh@ newindianexpress.com