Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 23 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate and former Gujarat party chief Gopal Italia secured a decisive victory in the Visavadar Assembly by-election on Monday, defeating BJP’s Kirit Patel by a margin of 17,554 votes. Italia received a total of 75,942 votes.
The Visavadar seat, located in Junagadh district and part of the Junagadh Lok Sabha constituency, became vacant following the resignation of Bhayani Bhupendrabhai Gandubhai. The win marks a significant development for the AAP in Gujarat’s political landscape.
Following the announcement of results, AAP workers celebrated across Gujarat. Reacting to the win, Gujarat AAP leader Anup Sharma told ANI, “The people of Visavadar saw the false promises made by the BJP. All their fake promises have been revealed. Gopal Italia did not win alone—every member of the Aam Aadmi Party feels this victory. This is a ‘khasa tamasha’ to the BJP by the people of Gujarat.”
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal congratulated the people of Gujarat and Punjab, highlighting the party’s strong performance in both the Visavadar and Ludhiana West by-elections. He noted that the results reflected a rejection of both the BJP and the Congress.
Gujarat AAP president Isudan Gadhvi claimed that AAP’s victory in Visavadar signals the beginning of its ascent in the state. “This is a victory for the people of Visavadar—farmers, laborers, and unemployed youth. AAP, not Congress, is the real challenger to BJP’s dominance in Gujarat,” Gadhvi asserted.
In a post on X, AAP Gujarat thanked voters from Visavadar, Bhensan, and surrounding Junagadh villages for embracing the party’s development-driven politics.
Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj called the result a “massive victory” and a “terrific bounce back,” especially in light of setbacks the party faced earlier. Speaking to ANI, he said, “Political analysts said AAP would finish as a party, but we are now winning in both Ludhiana West and Visavadar. This is a significant comeback, and those who doubted Arvind Kejriwal’s place in national politics should take note.”
Counting for by-elections held on June 19 in five Assembly constituencies across four states—Gujarat, Kerala, West Bengal, and Punjab—began at 8 a.m. on Monday. The constituencies included Kadi (SC) and Visavadar in Gujarat, Nilambur in Kerala, Ludhiana West in Punjab, and Kaliganj in West Bengal. (ANI)
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