Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has announced that Chaitar Vasava, the MLA from Dediapada in Gujarat, will be the party’s candidate for the Bharuch seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, despite being currently in jail. Kejriwal stated during a rally in Bharuch that Vasava, who has been incarcerated for the past month, is fighting for the rights of the tribal community.
According to Kejriwal, the BJP’s 30-year rule in Gujarat has neglected the Adivasi community, and Vasava’s arrest is a consequence of his advocacy for their rights. Kejriwal expressed concern about the BJP’s alleged animosity towards the tribal community and warned that another 30 years under BJP rule could devastate them.
Kejriwal, along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP leaders, plans to visit Vasava in Rajpipla jail to show support. Kejriwal emphasized that this is not just a fight for Vasava but for the honor of the entire Adivasi community.
Chaitar Vasava, also the AAP’s state working president, surrendered and was arrested on December 14, 2023, after being on the run for almost a month. The charges against him involve threatening forest officers and firing shots in the air while addressing a dispute related to the cultivation of forest land by local tribals in Narmada district. His wife has also been arrested in connection with the case.
Kejriwal claimed that Vasava was offered crores of rupees and a ministerial post by the BJP, but he refused the offer as he did not want to betray his own community.
Despite these claims, the Gujarat BJP spokesperson, Yamal Vyas, dismissed the AAP’s relevance in Gujarat, pointing to their poor performance in the 2022 elections. Vyas questioned whether the AAP had consulted with the Congress and others in the INDIA bloc before declaring Vasava as their candidate for the 2024 elections. He also criticized Kejriwal for not addressing corruption charges against himself.
The political landscape in Gujarat seems to be heating up as the AAP asserts its presence, while the BJP maintains a critical stance against the opposition party.
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