As the deadline for submitting nomination forms for the local body elections on April 26 approached, candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as well as independent and rebel candidates rushed to complete their applications. This flurry of activity occurred on Saturday, the final day for nominations.
In a surprising turn of events for the BJP, Raag Machhar, the party’s candidate for Ward No. 1 in Vadodara City, was notably absent from the updated electoral roll released by the State Election Commission. This oversight forced the BJP to quickly nominate a new candidate, Bhursinh Rathwa, who resides in Ward No. 16, to take Machhar’s place.
Party leaders expressed their astonishment at Machhar’s omission from the electoral list. A senior BJP member remarked, “We only discovered late Friday night that Machhar’s name was missing from the local body voter list. Although he was included in the assembly constituency roll updated on February 17, he was removed from the local body elections list. We are currently investigating this issue. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to select another candidate, a decision made by the parliamentary board. The party is taking this matter very seriously… Machhar was unaware of his exclusion, and it’s regrettable that this situation occurred.”
In a surprising move, the Congress party nominated three women candidates for Ward No. 1, which led to dissent within its ranks. Harish Patel, an outgoing corporator who was not selected, opted to run as an independent candidate. This decision diverges from Congress’s typical strategy. Among the three women candidates, Pushpsa Vaghela and Ami Ravat are both former corporators. Vaghela is contesting for the general woman seat, while Ravat is running for a general seat, typically reserved for male candidates. Additionally, Sona Jaha Desai—a former corporator’s wife—was nominated for the reserved OBC woman seat, and Nikul Patel was selected for the reserved ST seat.
Expressing his discontent, Harish Patel, who has connections with BJP MLA Hardik Patel, criticized the Congress leadership for “favoring unqualified candidates” and stated, “The candidate list was released at 1 AM because the party knew that selecting three women from one ward was an unjust decision. I have dedicated five years to serving the community, and I believe voters will support me despite my departure from Congress. The senior leaders are to blame for distributing nominations to those who merely follow orders.”
On the BJP side, suspended corporator Ashish Joshi, who recently joined Congress, filed his nomination alongside fellow party members, including Parul Patel from Ward 15, social activist Swejal Vyas, and two daughters of seven-term BJP MLA Madhu Shrivastava. Madhu’s cousin, veteran Congress leader Chandrakant Shrivastava, also submitted his nomination from Ward 16 for the sixth consecutive time.
In a dramatic incident in Ward 6, the Vadodara Detection of Crime Branch arrested Prabhu Solanki, husband of Congress candidate Parvati Solanki, in connection with an FIR filed against him in Haryana. Sources revealed that authorities intended to transfer him to Haryana for further legal proceedings. Parvati claimed that police had “forcibly taken her husband away.”
According to senior police officials in Vadodara, the allegations against Solanki pertain to “fraud” and the “smuggling of counterfeit gold.”
In the Por district panchayat, the BJP faced internal conflict as discontented leader Nayana Parmar filed her nomination as an independent candidate while wearing a BJP scarf. Nayana has openly expressed her dissatisfaction since the party nominated social media influencer Ankita Parmar for the Por seat instead of her.
After submitting her nomination, Nayana remarked, “As a dedicated member of the BJP, I have worked hard to support beneficiaries… People know me because of my efforts. Ankita holds multiple positions within the party, which contradicts the policy of one post per person. I wore the BJP scarf today because I am not against the party, but I disagree with her selection. It’s up to the public to choose between ‘reel’ and ‘real.’ Ankita represents ‘reel,’ while I embody ‘real.’”
Responding to the criticism, Ankita, who filed her nomination under the BJP banner, said, “The party has entrusted me with significant responsibilities, which reflects their confidence in me. I am ready to work diligently for the party’s success. During major elections, it is common for some individuals to feel disheartened. I acknowledge their disappointment and will strive to win them over and involve them in the region’s development.”
Aditi Raja, serving as an Assistant Editor for The Indian Express in Vadodara, Gujarat, has over two decades of experience in journalism. Since 2013, she has been reporting on regional affairs in Central Gujarat and Narmada district, establishing herself as a credible source on local politics, governance, and important socio-economic and environmental issues.
