Gujarat Assembly polls 2022: When denied ticket, 2-time BJP MLA joins AAP

Ahmedabad, Nov 11: A day after Bharatiya Janata Party announced its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Gujarat which did not include Kesarisinh Solanki's name, the BJP' MLA from the Matar Assembly seat joined the Aam Aadmi Party.

The BJP had on Thursday released the first list of candidates for 160 seats out of the total 182 for the upcoming assembly elections.

Gujarat AAP president Gopal Italia confirmed about the joining of MLA Kesarisinh Solanki. Italia said that Solanki joined the party after "getting inspired by the honest politics" of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.

In a Twitter post, Italia said, "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 Kesarisinh ji to the Aam Aadmi Party. Together we will form an honest government in Gujarat."

मातर विधानसभा के लोकप्रिय, कर्मठ, निडर विधायक श्री केसरीसिंह सोलंकी जी आज अरविंद केजरीवाल की ईमानदार राजनीति से प्रेरित होकर आम आदमी पार्टी में शामिल हुए है।

मैं श्री केसरीसिंह जी का आम आदमी पार्टी में दिल से स्वागत करता हूँ। हम सब मिलकर गुजरात में ईमानदार सरकार बनाएंगे। https://t.co/4mMoADhhm1

— Gopal Italia (@Gopal_Italia) November 10, 2022

The saffron party has fielded Kalpesh Parmar in place of Solanki who had won the seat twice in 2014 and 2017.

The BJP on Thursday announced the first list of candidates for 160 seats out of 182.

The list includes 14 women, and 13 and 24 members from the Schedules Castes and Schedules Tribes respectively.

Union minister Bhupinder Yadav, who was also present at the press meeting, said the list includes 69 sitting MLAs, indicating that a large number of incumbent legislators has been dropped.

Assembly elections in Gujarat are scheduled to be held in two phases-December 1 and 5. The countings of the vote will take place on December 8.