Kejriwal is scheduled to land at Rajkot International Airport this evening and will stay at a hotel on the 150-feet Ring Road until December 9. Senior party leaders said the trip aims to highlight agrarian distress and alleged excesses by the state administration during recent farmer-led demonstrations.
During the visit, Kejriwal will meet relatives of 50-year-old farmer Dilip Virdiya, who died by suicide in Ardoi village of Kotda Sangani on November 8 after repeated crop failures. The party has alleged that the incident reflects the deepening crisis facing farmers across Saurashtra.
AAP leaders confirmed that Kejriwal will also seek to meet around 30 party workers lodged in Rajkot jail. They were arrested after clashes broke out during a Kisan Mahapanchayat in Botad’s Hadad village on October 12, where tensions escalated into stone-pelting between police and farmers. Several police personnel were injured, and cases were filed against multiple AAP functionaries.
Gujarat AAP leader Ajit Lokhil said Kejriwal will address a press conference during the visit, where he is expected to speak on the shoe-throwing incident targeting party leader Gopal Italia and raise concerns over what the party claims is a deteriorating law and order situation in the state. AAP has alleged rising drug-related crimes and murders, accusing the government of failing to curb criminal activity.
Kejriwal had last visited the region on October 31, addressing a large Kisan Mahapanchayat in Surendranagar’s Sudamda village. Since then, the party has sharpened its attack on the state government, alleging systematic exploitation of farmers and demanding action on grievances related to crop damage and the contentious Kadda system.
Kejriwal’s latest outreach underscores AAP’s strategy to consolidate its rural presence in Saurashtra, a region with significant political stakes ahead of civic elections.
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