After two of its leaders quit the party in Gujarat, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of forcing its leaders to leave the party by misusing the state machinery.
The party leaders claimed that the ruling party feels threatened to the rise of AAP in Gujarat ahead of the Assembly polls to be held later this year.
On Monday, Surat-based businessman and a prominent Patidar community social worker Mahesh Savani, who had joined AAP a few months ago, suddenly announced his exit from politics on the ground of health and personal reasons.
He also said that he was not able to devote time to his social services activities while being in politics.
‘Family ties’
Earlier, a popular Gujarati folk singer Vijay Suvada, who had also joined the party in 2021, shifted to the BJP in the presence of BJP state president C.R. Paatil. He told mediapersons that his family had a long standing association with the ruling party.
After the resignations of two of its key leaders, the AAP’s Isudan Gadhavi in a press conference in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, said, “It is unfortunate that they have left the party. It is their personal decision I extend my gratitude to them for the efforts they put in while they were in the party.”
Mr. Gadhavi accused the BJP of applying “pressure” on AAP’s leaders to quit or distance themselves.
“They use the state machinery to apply pressure and offer huge money. Its money and muscle power that’s being used by the BJP to check the growing strength of AAP in Gujarat ahead,” he added.
