Declaring the Visavadar bypoll as the battleground for Gujarat’s political landscape, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Monday launched a blistering attack on the BJP, saying the party has dragged Gujarat ‘50 years into the past’ despite ruling the state for three decades. Addressing a massive crowd in Khadiya and Behshan villages while campaigning for AAP’s Visavadar bypoll candidate Gopal Italia, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal pointed to chaos in Gujarat under BJP rule—crippled infrastructure, collapsing public services, and a jobs crisis spiralling out of control. “The world is building world-class roads, but Gujarat couldn’t even lay down basic streets in 30 years,” he said.
Asserting that the Visavadar electorate had resisted BJP for 20 years, Kejriwal declared: “This is not an election, it’s a Mahabharata. They have money and muscle—AAP has the people.” During this, AAP’s Gujarat Prabhari Gopal Rai, State President Isudan Gadhvi, and other senior leaders were present.
Addressing a ‘jansabha’ in Khadiya village of the Visavadar Assembly Constituency, Gujarat, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated, “Two days ago, I flew from Delhi to Rajkot and then travelled by road to Junagadh, where I’ve been staying at a hotel. The distance between Rajkot and Junagadh is 125 kilometres, yet it took me three full hours to cover it. The condition of the roads is appalling.”
Criticising the BJP’s three-decade rule in Gujarat, he said, “At a time when the world is moving rapidly into the 21st century, when countries are building modern infrastructure and highways where vehicles run at 100 plus km/hr, Gujarat’s roads under BJP’s 30-year rule are crawling at 40 km/hr. After ruling for three decades, the BJP still hasn’t been able to build decent roads. Yesterday, I went from Junagadh to Kalsari for our public meeting. The road was completely broken. And even today, while coming back to Junagadh, the roads were in the same pathetic condition.”
Lamenting the state of basic services, Arvind Kejriwal stated, “I’m staying in a hotel, and even there, the electricity goes off every hour. When we visited the village of Kalsari last night, there was no electricity there either. In fact, villages have no electricity, cities don’t have power, and there are no proper roads. Talk to the youth and they say their recruitment exams are getting leaked. Talk to farmers, and they complain they don’t get electricity, they don’t get water, they don’t get fertilisers, and they don’t get fair prices for their crops.”
Questioning BJP’s legacy, he asked, “What exactly has the BJP given to the people of Gujarat after ruling for 30 long years? Thirty years is not a short time—it’s a lifetime in the history of a state or a country. Look at Singapore—it’s smaller than Gujarat. Singapore gained independence in 1963, and by 1993, it had become the world’s number one country. In just 30 years, it became one of the richest and most advanced nations. Japan, too, rose from the ashes after World War II and made massive progress in three decades. The whole world has moved forward.”
“But the BJP has dragged Gujarat 50 years back in the last 30 years. Today, Gujarat has nothing—not electricity, not water, not roads, not job opportunities, not even functioning examination systems. Inflation is rampant, and people are struggling,” emphasised the AAP Supremo.
Turning to the voters of Visavadar, Arvind Kejriwal said, “But today, I’ve come from Delhi to salute the people of Visavadar. You are truly remarkable. While the rest of Gujarat kept voting for the BJP over the past 30 years, Visavadar kept rejecting them. For the last 20 years, Visavadar has not elected a BJP MLA. You recognised them for what they are—a fake party, a corrupt party, a party that thrives on lies—and you refused to be fooled.”
Highlighting BJP’s tactics to subvert democratic choice, he said, “Now the BJP has started cheating. Twice in a row, they’ve betrayed the people of Visavadar. First, you elected Harshad Ribadiya, and BJP lured him away. Then, you elected our candidate Bhupat, and BJP snatched him too. This is not just wrong—it is betrayal. When the people elect someone, that mandate should be respected. Horse-trading MLAs with money, fear, or greed is cheating the voters and undermining democracy.”
Addressing the growing frustration among Visavadar’s electorate, the AAP Chief said, “Several people from Visavadar came to meet me. They told me, ‘We are firmly against the BJP. But whom do we vote for? Whoever we elect ends up joining the BJP. That’s our sorrow.’ They asked me, ‘If we vote for your candidate again, what’s the guarantee he won’t be poached?’”
Explaining AAP’s careful decision-making, he said, “We thought long and hard within the party about this. We wanted to choose someone who would never betray the public’s trust. So, we gave the ticket to one of our strongest leaders—Gopal Italia. Gopal Italia is the man who started the Aam Aadmi Party in Gujarat. He is one of our founding leaders in the state, and he’s a fighter no one can break.”
Pledging his full confidence, Arvind Kejriwal said, “I’m giving you a guarantee—if you elect Gopal Italia with a big majority, no power in the world can lure him. He will never defect. Gopal Italia comes from a humble, ordinary family. He was a police officer in Gujarat. Getting a job in the police is no small feat—especially in a system where there are many temptations and avenues for over the top earnings.”
Commending Gopal Italia’s integrity, he added, “Gopal Italia left that secure, well-paying job to serve society. Think about it—would a dishonest man ever give up a police job, where he could have made lakhs and crores? He chose to serve the people instead. That means he is deeply honest. For the last 15 years, he has worked tirelessly in Gujarat’s villages, standing with people, raising their issues, and serving the public.”
The AAP Chief made a heartfelt appeal, stating, “A man like Gopal Italia—honest, grounded, and tested—will never sell out. No power in the world can break him. Since joining the Aam Aadmi Party, the BJP has made numerous offers to him—Rs 5 crore, Rs 10 crore, Rs 20 crore—but he never gave in. If someone like that doesn’t bend for crores, you must elect him with a massive majority. He will serve you with all his heart. They’ve tried to break him many times.”
Invoking an epic reference, he said, “There’s a famous Mahabharat episode from just before the war began—both Duryodhan and Arjun went to seek Lord Krishna’s support. Lord Krishna was asleep. Duryodhan arrived first and sat near Krishna’s head. Later, Arjun arrived and humbly sat near his feet. When Krishna woke up, his gaze naturally fell in the direction of his feet—he saw Arjun first.”
He continued, “He asked Arjun why he had come. Duryodhan interrupted and insisted that since he arrived first, he should get to ask first. Krishna agreed and offered a choice—on one side was his vast Narayani army, on the other side, Krishna himself, unarmed. Duryodhan chose the army. When Krishna turned to Arjun, Arjun said, ‘I want you, not the army. I want God, I want Shri Krishna.’ Krishna replied, ‘Then I shall be your charioteer in this war.’”
Drawing a parallel, Arvind Kejriwal declared, “This election in Visavadar is no less than that ‘dharmayudha’—it is the Mahabharat of today. On one side is the BJP with its vast army—the police, the CBI, the Income Tax Department, the entire state machinery, and mountains of money. And on the other side is the Aam Aadmi Party—with nothing but your love, the blessings of the Almighty, and Lord Shri Krishna himself standing with us. Elect Gopal Italia with a huge majority and send him to the Assembly. I assure you, his voice will roar in the House. And through him, the voice of Shri Krishna will echo.”
He added, “Your voice, the voice of all of Gujarat, the voice of the farmers—will resonate in the Assembly. Today, the entire BJP has descended on Visavadar to defeat him. Who is Gopal Italia? A young, ordinary man. He’s not a minister’s son, he doesn’t come from a political dynasty. He’s not from any high-profile family. But every BJP minister, CM, every Chairman, every mafia—from education mafia to land mafia—has come to crush him. Why? Because they know that if he wins, he alone will shake their foundations. One single man will make it impossible for them to breathe easy.”
Calling for overwhelming support, Arvind Kejriwal appealed, “That is why he must be elected with a massive majority. Today, I am reminded of Kesu Bapa. He was the voice of the farmers of Visavadar. He fought for them. After him, it is Gopal Italia who has emerged as the voice of Visavadar’s farmers.”
Highlighting AAP’s commitment to farmers, he said, “Today, farmers do not get electricity, they don’t get fertilisers, they don’t get fair prices for their crops. Who raises their voice? Only the Aam Aadmi Party. Only Gopal Italia. And he will continue to speak up for you. He will ensure you get what is rightfully yours.”
Warning against the exploitation of farmers through the Eco Zone policy, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Today, through the Eco Zones, they are trying to enslave the farmers. The issue of Eco Zones first came up in 2016. It was AAP’s Praveen Ram who raised the voice in Gujarat. For one and a half years, the Aam Aadmi Party fought alongside farmers and stopped the Eco Zones from being implemented.”
The AAP Supremo assured, “Now, for the past four months, there has been renewed talk of bringing back Eco Zones. And once again, the Aam Aadmi Party has stepped forward. As long as AAP is here, I promise you—we will never allow Eco Zones to be enforced in Gujarat. No matter what.”
Emphasising the clear choice before voters, Arvind Kejriwal said, “On one side, you have Gopal Italia—an honest, patriotic, fearless man. On the other side, you have a corrupt goon. If you vote for that goon, imagine what will happen to you. He will rule with goondaism. I don’t need to explain how much corruption he did in the cooperative society—you all know.”
He continued, “I’ve been told he sent false notices of Rs 20–20 lakh to several farmers, even those who never took a loan. Many were driven to suicide. If you vote such a man into power, your life will become hell. Instead, vote for Gopal Italia. If you ever need anything—a government service, help for your home or family, if someone falls ill and needs treatment—morning to evening, for anything, you can walk into his home or visit any of his four offices.”
Highlighting Gopal Italia’s accessibility, the AAP Chief said, “You can go before elections or after elections—anytime. He will always be there for you. But if you vote for that goon, even meeting him will be impossible, forget getting work done. He will destroy your peace. So vote for the one who will actually serve you.”
Addressing skepticism about working from the Opposition, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Someone asked me, ‘The government is theirs (BJP), how will Gopal Italia get work done as an Opposition MLA?’ I ask you—what have 30 years of BJP rule given Gujarat? Roads? Electricity? Jobs for the youth? Safety for women? Better lives for farmers? Nothing. So the truth is, to work for the people, you need pain in your heart—not power in your hands.”
He asserted, “If required, Gopal Italia will fall at ministers’ and CMs’ feet to get your work done. And if need be, he’ll twist their ears too. He knows how to get things done. Even today, he holds no post, and yet people from all over Gujarat come to him—and he helps them all, by hook or by crook. So don’t worry about who’s in power. Every task will get done.”
Urging voters not to waste their vote on the Congress, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Don’t vote for Congress. They are not winning. They’ll barely get 1,500 or 2,000 votes. Voting for them is throwing your vote away. Today, Congress is BJP’s puppet. Everyone knows it. They sit in BJP’s lap. They live in BJP’s pocket.”
He stressed, “If there’s one party truly fighting against BJP today, it’s the Aam Aadmi Party. Don’t waste your vote by giving it to Congress. Only AAP is taking BJP head-on.”
Describing the support on the ground, the AAP Chief said, “On my flight here, I met people from Rajkot and nearby. Everyone told me, ‘AAP’s Gopal Italia is winning. There’s a wave across Gujarat.’ But they also warned me, ‘These people are dangerous. They’ll definitely try to do something shady in the election.’”
He issued a strong warning, “Be alert. They may attempt fraud. They may cast fake votes in your name. Your name will be on the voter list, but they might send someone else to vote in your place. And when you show up, they’ll say, ‘Your vote’s already been cast.’ There’s only one way to stop this.”
Giving voters a clear call to action, he said, “Go early—be at the booth by 7:00 am sharp. Before any fake voter reaches, you cast your vote. Wake up early, bathe, offer your prayers, and go vote before breakfast. Press the number one button for the jhaadu (broom). Vote in huge numbers and ensure a massive victory for Gopal Italia.”
