Addressing a press meeting in Junagadh on Monday, the newly elected MLA said, “This victory of mine is due to the internal fighting of BJP leaders in Junagadh" (Express)A week after he won the Visavadar bypoll, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Italia has credited “internal fighting of BJP leaders” for his win.Addressing a press meeting in Junagadh on Monday, the newly elected MLA said, “This victory of mine is due to the internal fighting of BJP leaders in Junagadh. The BJP leaders were unhappy over the Visavadar by-election ticket being given to Kirit Patel.”Italia’s statement has left BJP leaders shocked, prompting an internal investigation, said a source.The BJP, meanwhile, has termed Italia’s statements as baseless.Notably, Bhupendra Bhayani was elected from the Visavadar seat as an AAP candidate in the 2022 Assembly elections. He switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in January 2024.Sources said Bhayani was expecting that the BJP would field him as its candidate in the by-polls but the party went with Patel instead.Thanking the voters of Visavadar, Italia said, “State BJP president and Union Minister for Jal Shakti, C R Paatil, is furious nowadays because their candidate lost the election. The Visavadar public has not only defeated the BJP candidate but also Paatil. I want to advise Paatil to shut down the shop of horse trading of elected MLAs.”Story continues below this adReferring to the resignation of the AAP MLA from Botad Assembly seat, Umesh Makwana, from party posts, Italia said, “Paatil is nowadays using the shoulder of Makwana to target the AAP and its leaders. The statements coming from Makwana’s mouth have been scripted by Paatil. Makwana has full support of Paatil and is involved in anti-party activities. If Paatil has courage, he should let Makwana resign from the MLA post and get the seat in the bypolls. The public (voters) will give the best answer.”Talking to The Indian Express, Junagadh district BJP president Chandu Makwana said, “Italia’s allegations are baseless and false. There is no internal fighting among BJP groups in the district. All the party workers had worked hard so that our candidate would win.” He declined to comment on allegations levelled at Paatil.State general secretary of AAP, Manoj Sorathiya, said, “Bhayani was expecting a bypoll ticket but was unhappy after the BJP fielded Kirit Patel. Similarly, two-time Congress MLA from Visavadar seat, Harshad Ribadiya, who joined the BJP, was also expecting a ticket but his wish was not fulfilled. The BJP organisational leaders were unhappy with the party fielding Patel as a candidate.”In the 2017 Assembly elections, Patel was defeated by Ribadiya, who was with the Congress at the time.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd