Gujarat assembly election 2022: In a setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections, a sitting MLA switched the party to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after he was denied a ticket from his seat.
Kesarisinh Solanki, incumbent MLA representing the Matar assembly constituency in Gujarat's Kheda district, took the decision after the BJP released its first list of candidates on Thursday, November 10.
AAP's state unit president Gopal Italia confirmed on Twitter about Solanki's joining the party.
"Kesarisinh Solanki ji, a popular, hardworking, fearless MLA of Matar Vidhan Sabha, has joined the Aam Aadmi Party today after getting inspired by the honest politics of Arvind Kejriwal. I heartily welcome Shri Kesari Sinh ji to the Aam Aadmi Party. Together we will form an honest government in Gujarat," Italia said in a tweet late Thursday night. The tweet also carried a photograph, which showed Italia welcoming Solanki.
The ruling BJP, which on Thursday released its first list of 160 candidates for the state elections, has named Kalpesh Parmar as its candidate for the Matar seat, which was represented by Solanki in 2014 and 2017.
Solanki had won the bye-election to the seat in 2014 after the then MLA Devusinh Chauhan won the Lok Sabha election.
Chauhan is currently the Union Minister of State for Communications.
Solanki had also won the 2017 Assembly election from the constituency on the BJP ticket. The AAP has already declared the name of one Mahipatsinh Chauhan as its candidate for the seat.
It should be noted here that polling will be held in two phases in Gujarat on December 1 and 5 and results will be declared on December 8.
(With inputs from PTI)
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