AAP Nominates Gopal Italia for Visavdar By-elections in Gujarat

Gandhinagar, March 23 (NationPress) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has formally selected its former Gujarat unit head, Gopal Italia, as its candidate for the forthcoming Visavdar Assembly by-election. The announcement was made by AAP’s national general secretary for organization, Sandeep Pathak, paving the way for a significant electoral contest in the Saurashtra region.

The Visavdar seat became vacant following the resignation of the sitting AAP MLA, who subsequently joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Although by-elections are usually conducted within six months of a seat's vacancy, the election process faced delays due to an ongoing court case. With the legal obstacles now resolved, the by-election is anticipated to occur in the upcoming months. It is still uncertain whether the Congress, the primary opposition party, will put forth a candidate or let AAP contest directly against the BJP.

Since the by-election has not yet been officially called, the BJP has yet to declare its candidate. However, Italia currently has a head start in campaigning, as he has already been active in Visavdar prior to his formal nomination.

Italia, a former police constable who transitioned into politics, first gained attention when he dramatically threw a shoe at the then Gujarat Minister of State for Home during a protest in Gandhinagar. A vocal and sometimes contentious leader, he later ascended within AAP and was appointed as the party’s Gujarat unit president. Nonetheless, his leadership faced controversies, including viral footage of him making comments about Hindu religious beliefs and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother, igniting political backlash.

Before the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections, Italia was perceived as a key strategist for AAP; however, the party's lackluster performance resulted in his dismissal as state chief. He has also been arrested multiple times due to various protests and allegations.

As a leader from the Patidar (Patel) community, he is expected to leverage this affiliation in his campaign for the Visavdar seat, which boasts a substantial Patidar demographic. Situated in the lion belt of Junagadh district in Saurashtra, Visavdar is primarily an agricultural constituency with a large Patidar voter base.

Historically, it has been a battleground for opposition parties. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel had selected Visavdar as his stronghold, though his son Bharat Patel later lost a by-election here. In recent years, Visavdar has consistently elected candidates from non-BJP parties. Initially, the Congress won the seat, followed by AAP in the 2022 Assembly elections, when the party secured five seats in the state. However, the BJP dominated the Visavdar municipality elections earlier this year, winning all available seats.

With rural voters playing a vital role in the Assembly elections, the upcoming bypoll is expected to be highly competitive.