Protests in Surat over choice of names

The BJP’s list of candidates for the upcoming local body elections in Surat triggered a protest by leaders of Ward 3 who came out on the road against declaring the name of Dharmesh Sarasiya who stays in Katargam area but was fielded from Sarthana.

The workers burnt copies of the list, while similar protests were seen in Varachha and Kap-odara areas also, where there was objection to the names declared.

In the previous term, the Surat city municipal corporation had 29 wards with 116 elected representatives, of which 80 councillors were from the BJP. After delimitation of Surat city in 2020, 27 villages and two nagar palikas were added to the corporation limit with wards increasing to 30 and number of councillors 120.

On Thursday evening, the state BJP had released a list of 119 candidates, repeating 13 out of the 80 sitting councilllors, while others had either crossed 60 years or age or had exceeded three terms. The name of one seat in Ward 11 is pending.

The repeated candidates are Hemali Boghhawala (old Ward 10, new Ward 11), Vaishali Shah (old Ward 10, new Ward 11), Arti H Patel (old Ward 12, new Ward 12), Rakesh Mali (old Ward 12, new Ward 12), Reshmaben Lapsiwala (old Ward 20, new Ward 13), Vijay Chaumal (old Ward 17, new Ward 19), Rohiniben Chhotu Patil (old Ward 23, new Ward 24), Somnath Marathe (old Ward 23, new Ward 24), Amit Rajput (old Ward 25, new Ward 26), Purnima Davle (old Ward 27, new Ward 28), Ramila Patel (old Ward 17, new Ward 19), Anita Desai (old Ward 6, new Ward) and Geeta Rabari (old Ward 28, new Ward 23).

Nandlal Pandav, Vatalia Prajapati community president and Congress leader who fought 2012 Assembly elections from Katargam seat and lost, resigned from the Congress on Thursday. His son Narnedra Nandlal Pandav, got a BJP ticket from Ward 7.

Close aides of state BJP president CR Paatil, such as BJP leader Lalit Vekariya who was made party vice-president in Surat city recently, resigned from the post couple of days ago. He also got ticket from Ward 7. Others are Dinesh Rajpurohit from Ward 18 and Paresh Patel from Ward 23.

Sitting BJP councilor from Ward 24, Kanta Vakodikar, was omitted from the list, while her husband Prkaash Vakodikar got the ticket from Ward 25.

However, Anita Desai, BJP candidate from Ward 6 who is above 61 years and is a sitting councilor, got ticket. Surat city BJP president Niranjan Janjmera did not answer repeated calls.

State BJP spoke person Yamal Vyas said, “Out of 120 candidates, the party declared the names of 119 candidates, while name of one candidate is left on Ward 11, which will be declared soon.”

About Anita Desai getting ticket, Yamal Vyas said, “It is the decision by the party’s parliamentary board.”