After bringing a popular vernacular news anchor in its fold, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has aggressively been expanding its base in Gujarat ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls, is set to induct a well-known Surat-based businessman from the Patidar community into the party.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will be landing in Surat on Thursday to formally induct the businessman who is popular for his philanthropic works in the city.
Last week, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal arrived in Ahmedabad to announce former news anchor Isudan Gadhvi was joining the AAP, and on Thursday his deputy Sisodia will announce the name of the businessman joining the party.
The identification of the businessman hasn't been announced officially yet but sources said that he has been part of the Patidar Anamat Anandolan Samiti (PAAS), which led the Patidar agitation for reservation in 2015. Party officials said that they are not disclosing the name of the businessman fearing pressure from the BJP.
The event (induction) will be organised at a private school.
Surat, also known as "diamond city", is the first city in the state, which provided the Delhi-based party a foot in the door in state's electoral politics earlier this year, when it won 27 out of 120 seats in the Surat Municipal Corporation.
AAP's performance was spurred largely due to support from the Patidar community, ousting Congress from the local body and replacing AAP as the principal opposition party.
"The Aam Aadmi Party is getting stronger day by day in Gujarat, which is a matter of pride for all of us. To meet you all once again and to give you good news, tomorrow I am coming to Garvi Gujarat!" Sisodia informed in a tweet.
Rahul Gandhi to attend court proceeding in Surat
Meanwhile, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is also slated to arrive in Surat on Thursday to attend a court hearing in connection with a defamation case filed against him for his alleged remarks against "Modi community." Several senior party leaders from the state including president Amit Chavda, leader of opposition in the assembly Paresh Dhanani, among others, are camping in Surat to receive Gandhi. He will be arriving at around 10 am and will return by 12:30 pm after his appearance.
Gandhi is facing the defamation case for his speech during the Lok Sabha poll campaign in 2019 in Karnataka, where he reportedly remarked while referring to Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Narendra Modi "how come all the thieves have Modi as thier surname."
The defamation case has been filed by Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA in Surat, alleging that Rahul Gandhi's remarks are defamatory against the "Modi community".
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