Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP was eyeing a big entry into the Gujarat political landscape
Ahmedabad:
Some Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in Gujarat are reportedly in touch with the BJP which is set to form its government in the state for the seventh consecutive term, sources have said.
AAP MLA Bhupat Bhayani, who won the assembly election from Visavadar constituency in Junagadh district, however, refuted the reports about him switching sides.
Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP was eyeing a big entry into the Gujarat political landscape with this election, but the party managed to bag just five seats.
During the campaign, AAP positioned itself as the sole challenger to the BJP. The results, however, showed that the party succeeded more in splitting opposition votes and helping the BJP score a historic win.
The BJP won 156 out of the total 182 seats, the best seat tally for any political party in Gujarat’s electoral history, beating Congress’ 37-year-old record of 149 seats in the 1985 elections. Until now, the BJP’s best seat tally was 127 in the 2002 polls.
The Congress won 17 seats in the election.
AAP’s Gujarat chief Gopal Italia, however, described his party’s performance as “an impressive entry into BJP’s Gujarat bastion” and said it was a victory of Mr Kejriwal’s “honest politics.
Riding high on its victory in Punjab Assembly election earlier this year, the party launched its foray into Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh as part of its national expansion plan.
The AAP plans to contest in most of the states going to polls next year, including Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
