Saurashtra won’t see Surat AAP leaders

Surat: Popular names who have been spearheading the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) cause in Surat will not be able to woo voters in Saurashtra, thanks to the same poll date on December 1. Thus, well known faces like those of Gopal Italia, Alpesh Kathiriya and Dharmik Malaviya, who not only form the party’s core team but are also candidates from the city have found themselves on a sticky wicket.
With this tricky situation, AAP leaders from the city who have been campaigning in both the regions in the past, have had to rely on their local teams in Saurashtra and also party higher ups in Delhi and Punjab to guide both voters and the aspirants in the poll race. Further, the elected municipal councillors of AAP who have emerged as the key leaders of the party in the past one year are also occupied with campaigning duties in the diamond city.
It should be noted that the AAP had secured 27 out of 120 seats in the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) election in February 2021 leaving Congress, which secured 36 in the previous civic polls, empty handed.
AAP wrenched these seats from the Congress with the support of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders and the Patidar population residing in Saurashtrian-dominated areas of the city. AAP’s foray into state politics took off from areas where migrant population from Saurashtra have settled. Taking advantage of the Patidar quota movement and winning in city AAP strategies to create its base strong in Saurashtra.
AAP’s elected leaders and others worked to create a base for the party in Saurashtra. But to focus on seats where AAP is hoping for a victory, the party is not taking risk to utilize its leaders in Saurashtra. “None of our councillors are going to Saurashtra for campaigning. We are assigned duties in Surat and are working hard to ensure victory,” said Dharmesh Bhanderi, leader of opposition in the SMC.