Isudan Gadhvi, a former TV journalist, was named Aam Aadmi Party’s chief
ministerial candidate in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. Gadhvi, 40,
was a popular journalist raising public issues before plunging into politics.
He is regarded as one of the most highly rated television anchors in the Gujarati
news business.

Gadhvi, who hails from a farming family, has a Masters degree in
Journalism and Mass Communication from Gujarat Vidyapeeth. He graduated in
2005.

His initial years in the media were spent with state-run Doordarshan
where he worked on a show called ‘Yojana’. Gadhvi became a household name after
he ran a news show called Mahamanthan. The show was part debate and part
telephonic communication with members of the public.

Isudan Gadhvi’s anchoring demeanour was aggressive, and he took on the
role of a self-righteous Don Quixote swinging at the windmills in the public
interest.

In 2019, Isudan Gadhvi interviewed the then Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay
Rupani. The interview, which was uploaded to YouTube by VTV Gujarati, is
embedded here:

Vijay Rupani, Gujarat’s Jain chief minister, could stay in office only
two years after that interview. Internal strife within the party as well as
caste configurations forced him out. Rupani’s performance during the COVID-19
pandemic was also criticised. Bhupendra Patel, the current chief minister of
Gujarat, replaced him.

The Gujarat Assembly elections 2022 are therefore going to be a
reflection of the public mood on both Rupani and Patel.

Meanwhile, Isudan Gadhvi, whose party has emerged as a challenger in a
traditional contest between BJP and Congress, believes he can really win the elections.
On Friday, upon being named Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate,
Gadhvi said, “A humble farmer’s son like me has been given such a huge
responsibility in Arvind Kejriwal’s politics. I will try to do the best I can.
God has given me everything. Now I want to give my fellow Gujaratis everything
they need…I will serve the people until by last breath.”

Gujarat goes to polls in the first week of December. The first phase of
polls will be conducted on December 1 while the second phase of polls will take
place on December 5. Results will be announced on December 8.