Gujarat: Five AAP functionaries join Congress along with 50 supporters

Five Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functionaries in Gujarat joined the Congress along with 50 party workers in Ahmedabad on Wednesday in the presence of the grand old party's newly-appointed state unit chief Shaktisinh Gohil.

These five AAP office-bearers are the party's state vice president Manoj Guptani, Ahmedabad city vice president Ramesh Vora, Ahmedabad city general secretary S K Parghi, Lok Sabha in-charge Ajay Chaubey and the party's Gujarat unit spokesperson Parag Panchal.

Around 50 AAP workers also joined the Congress at a function organised at the party headquarters 'Rajiv Bhavan.' This comes nearly two weeks after AAP's Gujarat unit vice president Vashram Sagathiya returned to the Congress fold along with 50 party workers.

"AAP leaders and their supporters have joined the Congress to lend their support in its work in the interest of Gujarat. We will fight together to raise the issues faced by the people of Gujarat and corruption in the government," Gohil told reporters after inducting them.

Congress's legislature party leader and former state unit president Amit Chavda was among senior leaders who were present at the function.

"Many of our friends worked for Congress in the past and joined AAP due to some misunderstanding. They have decided to return to Congress because of the situation created by the BJP in the country and in the state," Chavda said.

"The BJP government is trying to scare people in many different ways. We will fight together to save democracy and the Constitution," he added.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP had positioned itself as a major challenger to the Congress in the December 2022 Assembly election and went on to win five seats. Congress, on the other hand, was reduced to winning only 17 seats in the 182-seat House.

Congress leaders said that AAP made a significant dent into the grand old party's vote bank and divided votes in favour of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which went on to win 156 seats, the highest ever won by a party in Gujarat.