Ahmedabad, April 7 (NationPress) The president of the Gujarat unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Isudan Gadhvi, announced on Tuesday that the party will not participate in the Umreth by-election. Instead, AAP will fully focus on the forthcoming local body elections.

Gadhvi challenged the Congress to face the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) directly. In a statement to IANS, he remarked, “We will not contest the Umreth by-poll. Our focus is solely on local body elections. We wish to witness a direct contest between the BJP and Congress, especially since Congress alleges that we are merely a secondary team to the BJP. Now is the time for them to defeat the BJP if they can.”

During a press conference in Ahmedabad, he claimed that AAP's campaign has instilled “panic” within the BJP, asserting that their candidates are struggling to connect with the electorate.

“The BJP is no longer capable of engaging with the people. Their leaders are being sent away when attempting to campaign,” he stated, emphasizing that AAP has positioned itself as “a beacon of hope and trust” for the citizens.

Gadhvi expressed optimism that AAP would win the mayoral position in Surat, highlighting the party's efforts to address public concerns during its five years in opposition.

He announced that Manoj Sorathiya would be the party’s primary candidate in Surat.

“Manoj Sorathiya, our resolute leader, will run as the representative of the people of Surat,” he mentioned, noting that this decision followed internal discussions and guidance from senior leadership, including national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

Claiming that state machinery is being misused, Gadhvi said, “It seems like not the BJP but the police are contesting elections against AAP.”

He accused the ruling party of intimidating AAP workers and candidates, stating that false FIRs are being filed, and attempts are being made to coerce candidates into withdrawing.

“There are efforts to intimidate and compel our candidates to step down… We suspect conspiracies to annul AAP candidates’ nominations,” he asserted, adding that the party has received such intelligence from reliable sources.

He further alleged that “efforts are underway to imprison all party leaders, including the state president,” with ordinary workers being threatened and subjected to false cases.

Referring to an incident in Vadodara, he mentioned that a candidate named Kantaben withdrew under “mysterious circumstances,” which raised suspicions of coercion, although he admitted there was no concrete evidence.

Gadhvi also suggested a covert alliance between the BJP and the Congress.

“The BJP aims to empower the Congress, as they are easier to defeat. In instances where Congress struggles to find candidates, the BJP is stepping in to provide them,” he questioned why similar legal actions are not being pursued against Congress leaders.

Commenting on remarks attributed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Gadhvi claimed that Gujaratis have been disrespected, stating that such statements are inappropriate and fail to acknowledge the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Meanwhile, Sorathiya expressed gratitude to the party leadership for the opportunity, asserting, “AAP will triumph in Surat and secure the Mayor position.”

He added, “In the forthcoming five years, AAP will transform Surat into a world-class city. People from all communities are rallying behind the party.”