Ahmedabad, February 11 Raju Karpada, the president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s Gujarat farmer cell, who was jailed during a protest last year, resigned from all party positions on Wednesday, citing "personal reasons". This development comes at a time when the party is working to strengthen its base in Gujarat ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. In a letter addressed to AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, farmer leader Karpada said he is stepping down from all party posts. "Due to personal reasons, it is not possible for me to fulfill my current duties. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities, respect, and support the party has provided me," he said in his resignation letter. Reacting to Karpada's resignation, state AAP president Isudan Gadhvi praised his leadership and said he consistently and firmly fought for the rights of farmers. "He always led a strong struggle on farmers' issues. The BJP keeps attempting to undermine and harass AAP leaders, and even in jail, party leaders and workers (arrested during a protest in 2025) were subjected to abuse." However, the trust of Gujarat's farmers, laborers, and working class in the party remains intact. Our struggle for farmers' rights and justice will continue relentlessly," Gadhvi asserted in a statement. Notably, Karpada was among party leaders who were arrested in connection with a farmer agitation (kisan mahapanchayat) organised at Haddad village in Botad district in October last year. The kisan mahapanchayat', organised to protest alleged unfair practices at the Botad Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) and exploitation of farmers, had turned violent and led to a clash between protesters and police. The state AAP farmer cell president was arrested in connection with the violence and secured bail after spending nearly three-and-a-half months in jail. Karpada unsuccessfully contested the 2022 assembly elections from the Chotila seat in Surendranagar district on an AAP ticket. The AAP managed to win five seats in the assembly elections which were swept by the ruling BJP.
