Will contest elections if party says so: Raju Karpada joins BJP after resigning from AAP

Gujarat’s young leader Raju Karpada, who resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) earlier, joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday. Just ahead of the upcoming by-elections to the Gujarat Assembly and elections to local-self government bodies, there has been a gap in the Aam Aadmi Party’s organisation. Raju Karpada, considered as a strong leader of ‘AAP’, has now joined BJP in presence of senior leaders at the BJP’s state office ‘Shri Kamalam’.

Raju Karpada made an emotional statement after joining BJP, saying, “I started raising the voice of farmers by running a farmers’ organisation from 2017-18. In 2021, I joined a specific party so that the voice of farmers could be made loud. Whenever natural disasters hit, I have tried to be a voice for the farmers.”

He further added, “I have realised that just protesting against the government does not benefit the farmers, it only makes the leader’s face shine. The support of the government and the government is needed to improve the condition of the farmers. When I was in jail, the government gave a relief package, which really benefited the farmers. Hence, I have joined the BJP for the benefit of the farmers.” He also reportedly mentioned that he will contest for elections if the party says so.

Raju Karpada, who is originally from Chotila area of Surendranagar district. He made a name of himself as a farmer leader, by aggressively agitating the issues of cotton and groundnut prices as well as crop insurance. After joining AAP in 2021, he contested in the assembly elections from Chotila seat. He has been jailed several times for agitating on the issue of farmers. He reportedly quit AAP because of neglect of the workers and the internal working style of the party. 

Along with Raju Karpada, other prominent leaders like Amrut Makwana, Nitin Patel, K D  Jhala, Rajendra Singh Rathore and Dhirubhai Melalia have also accepted the support of BJP.