He has hurled shoes at a minister, given a statement that can hurt Hindu sentiments and even called Prime Minister “Neech” (lowly person).
Gopal Italia’s name is synonymous with controversy. And on Monday Italia emerged a giant killer as he defeated the ruling BJP’s Kirit Patel by a margin of over 17,000 votes in Visavadar by-poll. The BJP hasn’t won the seat since 2007. The seat was once represented by former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel.
The AAP’s candidate failed to reach five digit votes in Kadi by-poll hardly matters for Italia’s victory is a slap on the face of the BJP that has been in power in Gujarat for three decades.
When top AAP leaders including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia were behind the bars, people thought it was all over. But, the party came back with a bang retaining Visavadar. Bhupat Bhayani had won the seat in 2022. He then resigned and joined the BJP.
No wonder that soon after the results were announced, Gujarat AAP president Isudan Ghadvi said that if there is anyone who can defeat the BJP it is the AAP. “AAP is going to form the government in 2027,” he said.
Thirty-six-year-old Italia’s name was announced as the candidate much early and he got nearly three months to campaign. Italia, a Patidar, was an outsider. But, the way he and his party had taken up the issue of eco-sensitive zone in Saurashtra and the issue of unemployed youth did not let him be an outsider.
This law graduate and post-graduate in law, repeatedly told during the campaign that he would not leave the party and join any other party. He was smart enough and remembered Keshubhai. He had even kept Keshubhai’s bust in his election office.
In the constituency where no party can claim to have control over the years, Italia and his party smartly raked up the issue of alleged irregularities by the BJP’s candidate Kiriti Patel. Albeit, he had denied allegations.
The BJP tried to remind the masses how Italia had hurt Hindu sentiments in the past, referred to Modi as “Neech” and hurled shoes at a minister. But perhaps people’s memory is short.
Italia, who had served as a constable and a revenue clerk before being suspended for hurling a shoe at the then minister Pradipsinh Jadeja outside the state assembly building in 2017, resigned from the service later that year.
One of the key faces of the Patidar agitation alongside Hardik Patel, who is now in the BJP, Italia had lost the 2022 assembly election from Katargam to BJP’s Amarsinhbhai Moradiya by over 64,000 votes. By defeating the BJP’s Kirit Patel, Italia has taken a sweet revenge.
Italia was the state party president until Ghadvi replaced him in 2023. This patidar leader was given national responsibility and now he will be seen in the state assembly.
He had mocked Kirit Patel’s statement of making Paris like roads in Visavdar and now the electorate would hope that he would raise people’s voice in the state assembly.
Also Read: Shaktisinh Gohil Resigns As Gujarat Congress Prez https://www.vibesofindia.com/shaktisinh-gohil-resigns-as-gujarat-congress-prez/
