Another Jolt To AAP In Gujarat, 2 More Party Corporators Join BJP In Surat

In a fresh jolt to AAP in Gujarat, two more corporators Kanu Gedia and Alpesh Patel joined the Bharatiya Janta Party in Surat on Friday after they were removed for anti-party activities.

In a fresh jolt to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gujarat, two more corporators Kanu Gedia and Alpesh Patel joined the Bharatiya Janta Party in Surat on Friday after they were removed for anti-party activities as the primary members. They joined the saffron party at a function just a week after six other AAP corporators went to BJP, reported news agency PTI.

The AAP in its official statement said Gedia along with another corporator Rajesh Moradiya was removed from all the party posts. The party also said that the two corporators were removed for anti-party activities as they were instigating others to witch to the BJP by promising them money, reported PTI.

AAP leader Gopal Italia stated that both corporators Gedia and Patel went to the BJP because they were offered money. However, the saffron party has refused this and said they joined the party willingly and not under any kind of pressure or allurement, reported PTI.

As per PTI, a BJP leader said these leaders were impressed by the Gujarat party leadership, adding that they were influenced by the BJP’s ideology of development. The leader further said they have joined to make the party strong in Surat and Gujarat.

With this, the AAP's strength in the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has come down to 15. The party had won 27 seats in the 2021 urban body polls and 12 corporators have now joined the BJP.

Earlier, six corporators of the Aam Aadmi Party joined BJP on April 14, in the presence of Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi. "Swati Kyada, Nirali Patel, Dharmendra Vavliya, Ashok Dhami, Kiran Khokhani and Ghanshyam

Makwana took the membership of BJP," the party official said, according to ANI. The six councillors include Ashok Dhami (housing project), Kiran Khokhani (social welfare and recreational cultural committee), Ghanshyam

Makwana (light and fire committee), Patel Nirali (health committee), Dharmendra Vavaliya (transport mobility committee), and Advocate Swati Kayda (law committee).

Earlier, four Aam Aadmi Party councillors Rita Khaini, Jyoti Lathia, Bhavna Solanki, and Vipul Movaliya joined the BJP.