The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday decided to launch its “Mission Gujarat” programme by holding a public rally in Surat on October 16.
The party would announce future plans to contest next year’s State Assembly elections.
Journalist-turned-politician Ashutosh has been made in-charge of “Mission Gujarat” and AAP MlA from Matiala Gulab Singh has been given full charge of the rally.
After Surat, the AAP is planning to hold its second big rally in Mehsana district in Vadnagar Assembly, which is also the hometown of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi himself had represented Vadnagar seat in the Gujarat Assembly.
The AAP finalised the day and venue of its first Gujarat rally while its supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is on a 10-day vipasana (Buddhist meditation course). Asked why October 16 has been chosen as the date of the rally, a senior AAP functionary said that after Kejriwal returns from vipasana, he will be busy with a series of engagements in Punjab from mid-August to mid-September.
The party has already announced to contest all the Assembly seats in both Punjab and Goa. Earlier, reports suggested that Kejriwal was planning to hold rally in Gujarat in August only.
Another AAP leader said, “It would not have been a politically correct decision to hold our rally in August as Vivid Vyapar Sangh, a traders body, which had been a supporter of the State BJP, along with some other Dalit outfits, have on Friday started a protest march against the Una Dalit incident. The protest march which started from Ahmedabad will culminate in Una on August 15.”
Reports also suggest that the traders body too has sent feelers to the AAP that it would extend its support to the party if it contests the next year’s Assembly elections.
Insiders said the AAP was likely to target traders, OBCs, SCs and Muslims in the State. “Even Patels are on their radar. Hardik Patel has already said Arvind Kejriwal is the symbol of development and Narendra Modi is the symbol of destruction.”