Gopal Italia

Gopal Italia
Joint General Secretary of Aam Aadmi Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 January 2023
President of Aam Aadmi Party, Gujarat
In office
12 December 2020 – 4 January 2023
Personal details
Born (1989-07-21) 21 July 1989 (age 35)
Botad, Gujarat, India
CitizenshipIndia
Political partyAam Aadmi Party
Alma materGujarat University
OccupationSocial activist, politician
Known forKayda Katha[1]
Patidar reservation agitation

Gopal Italia (born 21 July 1989) is an Indian politician and a social activist. He was ex-police official and a leader of the Patidar reservation agitation. From December 2020 to January 2023, he was the Convener (State president) of Aam Aadmi Party in Gujarat.[2][3][4][5][6]

Italia became known in January 2017, when serving as a government employee, he called up Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and complained to him about the open violation of the alcohol prohibition policy in Gujarat and alleged collusion of public servants. The video of the conversation became viral on social media. In March 2017, Italia was in the news for hurling a shoe at Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja and shouting 'down with corruption'.[7][8]

Between 2018 and 2020 Italia was associated with the social organization Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). In 2018, he organized public meetings named Kayda Katha to raise awareness about Constitution law and in June 2020, Italia joined AAP as the State Vice President of Aam Aadmi Party, Gujarat. He was appointed the State President of the party on 12 December 2020. In November 2018, in a live video on Facebook, Italia fired shots into the air demonstrating a plastic gun for use by farmers to scare away animals who damage crops. The video of the incident became viral.

88,000 aspirants had appeared in the written examination, for recruitment of 186 head clerks, held on 12 December 2021. After paper leak the exam was cancelled. Italia along with 500 AAP members protested outside the BJP office for removal of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Asit Vora from the post of chairman of Gujarat Subordinate Service Selection Board (GSSSB) that conducted the examination. Italia and others spent 10 days in prison before getting bail in the case filed by BJP leader for the protest.[9]

Under Italia's tenure as president, AAP Gujarat debuted in the February 2021 Gujarat local body elections. AAP won 27 seats in the Surat Municipal Corporation and one in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation. In 2022 he was re-appointed as the president of AAP Gujarat, to prepare the party for the 2022 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election. In this election party grabbed 12.92% vote with 5 seat.[10]

  1. ^ "Patidars to hold Kayda Katha on law & rights in Surat from December 27". Indian Express. 23 December 2018. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference vice-president was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference deccanherald December 2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference asmita was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference journey was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Major reshuffle in AAP's Gujarat unit, Isudan Ghadvi appointed state president". The Week. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Arms Act was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Youth Leader was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference GSSSB protest was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ 2022 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election