Fresh difficulty appears to be developing for Gujarat's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is struggling to retain its newly elected party MLAs from defecting. In the midst of rumours that Bhupat Bhayani may join the BJP in Gujarat, the AAP MLA has spoken out to clarify his position.
Speaking to ABP News on Sunday, AAP MLA Bhupat Bhayani stated that he wants to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has retained power in Gujarat for the seventh consecutive term.
“I want to join the BJP government so that I can solve the problems of my constituency. How will I work if I do not have connectivity with the government? I respect the mandate of the people of Gujarat," MLA Bhayani said.
Highlighing his relations with Vijay Rupani, MLA Bhayani said: "Vijay Rupani treats me like a son. Vijay Rupani is the reason behind joining the government."
In the recently concluded Gujarat elections, Bhayani won the Visavadar assembly seat on the AAP platform.
With 156 seats in the 182-member house, the BJP achieved a landslide win in the elections for the Gujarat Assembly. With only 17 seats won in Gujarat, the Congress came in second place by a long shot. Aam Aadmi Party, a newcomer to Gujarat politics, was able to secure five seats in the state legislature.
Gopal Italia, the AAP's district head in Gujarat, contrasted this by praising his party's success as "an amazing foray into BJP's Gujarat bastion" and asserting that it was a triumph for Mr. Kejriwal's "honest politics."
As part of its national growth strategy, the party entered Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh after winning the Punjab Assembly election earlier this year.
The AAP intends to run in the majority of the states holding elections in 2019—including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh.