With eye on polls, Arvind Kejriwal to visit Gujarat

NEW DELHI: With an eye on Assembly elections in Gujarat next year, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal will visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state tomorrow and pay obeisance at Somnath temple.

The Delhi Chief Minister will also visit Punjab on July 18 and perform 'sewa' at the Golden Temple. The proposed visit will be his second trip to the state in a fortnight.

Kejriwal will be in Gujarat for two days during which he is expected to meet party workers, as the AAP gears up for the Assembly polls in the state scheduled to be held in the second half of 2017.

Kejriwal's scheduled visit to Surat on July 10 had to be cancelled after a trade body withdrew its invitation, which AAP alleged was at the behest of state BJP government. The AAP chief had then accused Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel of cancelling his Surat visit.

"Anandiben ji has cancelled my Surat visit, but as Lord Shiva has called me, I will visit Somnath on July 9, a programme for which is in place," Kejriwal had tweeted.

AAP had earlier announced that it will fight elections of 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat scheduled to be held next year.