Ahmedabad: In a dramatic escalation of internal turmoil within the Aam Aadmi Party’s Gujarat unit, Botad MLA Umesh Makwana was suspended from AAP for five years. The decision was announced by state president Isudan Gadhvi on Thursday through a post on social media platform X, marking a severe disciplinary step against a sitting legislator who has been openly critical of the party’s leadership and internal functioning.
Makwana, a prominent face from the Dalit and backward communities, had triggered speculation earlier this week after he declared that he would address a press conference to “expose the casteist mindset and political exploitation” within AAP. However, during the Thursday briefing in Gandhinagar, he did not resign from the party or as an MLA, instead stepping down as the party’s whip in the Gujarat Assembly and as AAP’s National Joint Secretary.
Makwana delivered a scathing attack on his own party, saying, “Dalit and backward leaders are used for elections and then discarded. Every party, including AAP, has failed to represent backward communities genuinely. The entire party machinery worked for Gopal Italia in Visavadar, but the Dalit candidate in Kadi was left to fend for himself.”
He added that he would consult with grassroots leaders and the people of his constituency before deciding on whether to quit the party or float a new political outfit. “I will meet with backward community leaders soon. If the people want me to resign as MLA, I will. I’m considering all options—including contesting independently or forming a new party.”
Makwana, who was elected from the Botad constituency in 2022, had earlier been fielded by AAP as its Lok Sabha candidate from Bhavnagar, though he lost the contest. He has remained absent from recent AAP programs and his relationship with party leadership had been strained for months.
His political record, however, is not without controversy. Minister Jagdish Vishwakarma revealed in the Assembly that Makwana allegedly pressured Botad police officials to release a party member booked under the Atrocities Act. Makwana countered the allegation by saying, “If proven guilty, I will resign immediately. Let CBI or LCB investigate.”
Furthermore, his former PA, Ajay Jamode, accused him of not repaying ₹13 lakh spent during the Lok Sabha campaign and of issuing threats.
The suspension is likely to trigger further fissures within AAP's Gujarat unit, especially among Dalit and OBC cadres who feel sidelined.
