AAP’s ‘Operation Broom’ Gathers Momentum Ahead of 2027, Delivers Major Jolt to BJP and Congress in Gujarat

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), gearing up for its ambitious Mission 2027, has claimed a significant political breakthrough in Gujarat by making inroads into the strongholds of both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. In a major development on Wednesday, several leaders and workers from the two national parties joined AAP in Surat, delivering a symbolic and strategic blow to its rivals.

At a time when vote counting for civic body elections is underway in Punjab, AAP’s Gujarat unit showcased its growing organisational strength by inducting leaders from BJP and Congress, particularly in Surat—considered one of BJP’s most impregnable bastions.

AAP leaders said the new entrants were drawn by the party’s promise of “honest and transparent politics.” The inductions took place in the presence of Surat city president Dharmesh Bhanderi, Lok Sabha coordinator Rajnikant Vaghani, Navsari Lok Sabha in-charge Pankaj Taide, and party spokesperson Chitresh Anajwala.

Among those who joined AAP were Bharat Prajapati, a state executive member of the Congress Youth Wing and a city-level functionary in Surat, along with Avghesh Singh Rajput, the Congress president of the Udhna Assembly segment. Several BJP leaders and grassroots workers also switched allegiance, underlining what AAP described as growing discontent within established parties.

Addressing the gathering, Dharmesh Bhanderi said AAP would field “strong, credible and clean candidates” in the upcoming municipal corporation elections scheduled for 2026. He added that the party is steadily positioning itself as a serious alternative to both BJP and Congress at the urban grassroots level.

Surat holds special significance for AAP. It was from this city that the party made its political entry into Gujarat, winning 27 seats in the Surat Municipal Corporation in 2021 and emerging as the principal opposition, pushing Congress to the margins. Since then, AAP has systematically expanded its footprint under the broader “Gujarat Jodo” campaign.

The latest political churn comes just days after AAP submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel highlighting farmers’ demands, signalling the party’s intent to combine street-level mobilisation with organisational expansion.

Surat’s importance in Gujarat politics cannot be overstated. It is the home district of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Union Minister C.R. Patil, making any erosion in BJP’s support base here politically significant. While several AAP corporators had earlier defected to the BJP, the current reverse movement—especially ahead of elections—has added a new edge to the contest.

AAP’s Gujarat unit is currently led by Isudan Gadhvi, the party’s chief ministerial face in the 2022 Assembly elections. Though unsuccessful then, Gadhvi has since focused on strengthening the organisation, particularly in Saurashtra and tribal belts, where the party has gained visibility and traction.

At present, AAP has four MLAs in the Gujarat Assembly, though one legislator, Umesh Makwana, was expelled from the party earlier. Despite limited legislative presence, AAP’s growing appeal at the municipal and grassroots levels suggests that the party is determined to reshape Gujarat’s political landscape ahead of 2027.

With “Operation Broom” now in motion, AAP appears keen to challenge the long-standing BJP dominance while capitalising on Congress’s perceived organisational weakness in the state.