Journalist-turned-politician Isudan Gadhvi talks about his roadmap based on his boss Arvind Kejriwal’s Delhi model, to steer Gujarat out of its misfortune as he easily mingles with common people in the Khambhalia Assembly segment in Devbhumi Dwarka district.
With the heavy responsibility of leading the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Assembly poll debut, he says the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has failed to fulfil the aspirations of the youth and farmers as he flags instances of corruption and misgovernance in the last 22 years.
Gadhavi is a household name in Gujarat for vocally raising issues of public importance. He was the first influential figure to join the AAP in Gujarat last year. Just before the declaration of elections, he was named the party’s chief ministerial candidate in the state.
“I have joined politics with a clear roadmap to take Gujarat forward on the path of development and collective happiness. I want to implement our policies on health, education, agriculture, and against corruption in line with the Delhi model,” he tells a team of The New Indian.
Issues of farmers’ suicide and joblessness are the common feature of his conversations with constituents of Khambhalia. He promises stable and reliable source of irrigation and fertilizers and a lucrative minimum support price for their crops.
Huge turnout at his public rallies has emboldened the 40-year-old leader who hails from a family of farmers. He compares the public support to him with that to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.
“Yesterday, I held a public meeting in Shaktinagar and you can see the crowd in a video on my Facebook page. The home minister has also held a rally here. Look at the strength of the crowd there. They could not gather even 1000 people. They brought school students to the rally,” he said.
“BJP is now scared. Unko nani yaad aa gayi hai,” Gadhvi quips.
However, Gadhvi does not make a direct attack on PM Modi. “I would appeal to PM Modi to take care of Delhi (Central government) and Gujarat should be left for us (AAP). We will not let a single paper leak for famer suicide to happen.”
Gadhvi promises to fill all vacancies in the state government by November next year and ₹1000 per month to women above the age of 18. “Those left jobless after filing vacant posts will be given ₹3000 per month until they get a job,” he promises.
Highlighting the level of support to him, he recounts an encounter with an elderly man in a village. “An elderly man told me that he threw the remote controller on his TV set when he heard the news of my resignation as a journalist. He was so happy to meet me.”
Talking about challenges in politics, Gadhvi says, “In journalism, you have dedicated time for sleep, food and to meet people. But in politics, there is no such luxury. There is no personal life. It is difficult to focus on your health. But I am happy that I would be able to do something for common people.”
The politician also promises to bring perpetrators of tragedies like the Morbi bridge collapse to justice if AAP is voted to power. “The souls of the victims of such tragedies are still roaming around. Since their souls are with us, there is a wave of Jhadu (AAP’s election symbol) across Gujarat.”
He accuses the saffron party of polarization but claims that the people of Gujarat now want issue-centric politics. “For a long time, people wanted a party which focuses on issues of public interest like good roads, good healthcare facilities, education and free electricity,” he says he avoids criticising the BJP over the release of the accused in the Bilkis Bano rape case.
Amid chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ (long live Mother India), Gadhvi concludes: “And now the people of Gujarat have AAP and I am hopeful they will choose us in this election.”