New Delhi: BJP President Amit Shah “will” replace Anandiben Patel as the state’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal claimed on Saturday, quoting “sources”.
“Gujarat fed up of Anandiben Patel’s corrupt mal-administration. Huge support for AAP. Sources- BJP will replace Anandiben wid Amit Shah (sic),” the Delhi Chief Minister, who is touring the western state, tweeted.
Kick-starting AAP’s campaign for the 2017 Gujarat assembly polls by visiting the Somnath Temple, the Aam Aadmi Party chief asked the people to get rid of “hooligans” and “corrupt” persons. Addressing a gathering of farmers on the outskirts of Somnath city, he targeted the BJP governments at the Centre and the state.
Former BJP MLA Yatin Oza said on Saturday he was going to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He said he will meet Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal in Rajkot on Sunday morning and in New Delhi next week. “This is an informal meeting with Kejriwal but you can consider myself as having already joined AAP. A formal meeting will take place in Delhi coming Tuesday,” he said.
Oza, a practising lawyer at Gujarat High Court, said after joining AAP he will target Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the “rampant corruption promoted by his government”. “I am aggrieved at the way Modi is attacking judiciary and such attacks are being made to weaken it. Second, Modi government did nothing to stop future trading of essential commodities as per his election promise and this has caused rise in prices of food items,” Oza said, when asked about his reasons for joining AAP.
Modi had a “tacit understanding” with NCP president Sharad Pawar so as to counter Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, he said. “Third, there is a rampant corruption in the government and nothing is being done to address the problem. The BJP today has become a party of two people – Modi and Amit Shah. I have heard grievances of party members who have been pushed out because they are not sycophants,” he added.
Oza, who had once joined Congress and contested against Modi from Maninagar constituency in 2002 before coming to BJP, said as an AAP member he will corner Modi and the BJP government on corruption with documentary evidence. Oza was elected twice as BJP MLA from Sabarmati. He parted ways with the party but later returned to BJP.