"Cage lion like Vasava", Kejriwal declares Chaitar Vasava as AAP's candidate for Guj LS polls

New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal, National convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), announced on Sunday that incarcerated MLA Chaitar Vasava would represent the party in the next Lok Sabha elections from the Bharuch seat.

He claimed that the Dediapada MLA would run for the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat even if he was unable to attend in person and dared the BJP to "cage a lion" like Vasava.

To defend the Gujarat AAP working president's and his wife Shakuntala's bail requests in the Supreme Court on the purported extortion case, Kejriwal claimed that the AAP has "engaged the most expensive and topmost" lawyers in the nation.

Chaitar was placed in judicial prison on December 18 by a local court in Dediapada, Narmada district, following a three-day police remand in the case involving the alleged extortion and assault of forest authorities on November 2. Chaitar, who turned himself in on December 14 after eluding capture for more than a month, attempted to secure bail on December 18 but was denied.

While addressing a public meeting in Netrang of Gujarat's Bharuch district, Kejriwal said, “I want to announce that Chaitar Vasava will contest the Lok Sabha polls from Bharuch Parliamentary constituency… By the time the polls are here, Chaitar will be out. We have hired the most expensive and topmost lawyers for Chaitar Vasava and his wife Shakuntala.”

“Chaitar Vasava is an emerging young politician from the tribal community. The BJP is afraid of him; if he continues to grow (in politics), he will start working towards for rights of the tribal community,” he added.

Vasava's wife Shakuntala was also arrested in the case. Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and state AAP leaders will meet Vasava in Rajpipla jail on Monday.

AAP, Congress to meet today, Lok Sabha seat sharing talks on agenda

On Monday in Delhi, there will be a discussion about the sharing of seats in the INDIA bloc between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Sources claim that the conversation will only cover Delhi and that seat-sharing in Punjab, Goa, or Gujarat is not on the schedule.

Delhi AAP ministers Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi and Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak will attend Monday's meeting where Congress will be represented by ex-Union Minister Salman Khurshid and others, as per the media reports. (With inputs from PTI)