Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kesarisinh Solanki on Thursday quit the party and joined the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. His resignation came after the ruling BJP released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly election. Solanki is the sitting MLA from Gujarat's Matar Assembly seat.
Gujarat AAP President Gopal Italia welcomes Kesarisinh Solanki to the party. (@Gopal_Italia)
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Gujarat AAP President Gopal Italia in a tweet welcomed Solanki to the party and 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."
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In the first list of candidates announced on Thursday, the BJP named Kalpesh Parmar as its candidate from the Matar seat, replacing Solanki who had won the seat twice in 2014 and 2017.
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In the first list of candidates announced on Thursday, the BJP named Kalpesh Parmar as its candidate from the Matar seat, replacing Solanki who had won the seat twice in 2014 and 2017.
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Among other prominent names on the list included former Congress leader Hardik Patel who has been fielded from the Viramgam constituency and Rivaba Jadeja – the wife of star cricketer Ravindra Jadeja – from Jamnagar North seat. Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel will be contesting from the Ghatlodia constituency.
Gujarat will vote in two phases on December 1 and 5, and the counting will be taken up on December 8. The Congress and the AAP are among the key rivals of the ruling BJP in the high-stake election.
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