Sanghavi’s Dediapada visit: AAP’s Praful Vasava, Cong leader Raj Vasava join BJP along with 700 supporters in Gujarat’s tribal belt
BJP says big boost ahead of 2027 Assembly polls, Congress says Raj 'not an active party leader'; AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava questions timing of political rally citing ongoing Assembly session, exams
The inclusion of Praful Vasava and Raj Vasava into the BJP is expected to "boost the party's ground strength" in the tribal areas ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. (Express Photo)
Close to 700 workers of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress, including tribal leaders Praful Vasava (AAP) and Congress leader Raj Vasava, joined the BJP in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi at Dediapada in Gujarat’s Narmada district at a party event, ‘Adivasi Gaurav Abhivadan Samaroh’, on Thursday.
On Thursday, Sanghavi began his visit to Dediapada by offering floral tributes to the statue of Birsa Munda and then holding a road show to the venue of the event at the Khokhrumar cricket ground in the Assembly constituency of AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava, who is currently prohibited from entering the taluka as part of his bail conditions in a case of alleged attempt to murder a BJP leader in the constituency.
Sanghavi, along with Bharuch BJP Lok Sabha MP Mansukh Vasava, Tribal Affairs Minister Naresh Patel, BJP general secretary Prashant Korat, Narmada district BJP president Neel Rao and president of BJP state Tribal Morcha Ganpat Vasava, welcomed the tribal leaders into the party, putting a party scarf around their neck.
Both Praful Vasava and Raj Vasava of the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) had joined the Congress after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
While Raj Vasava, an alumnus of United College in London, had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the Chhota Udepur constituency on a BTP ticket through a crowdfunding programme, Praful Vasava had contested the 2017 Gujarat Assembly Polls from Waghodia Assembly constituency as a BTP candidate and the 2022 Gujarat Assembly polls from the Nandod Assembly constituency as an AAP candidate.
BJP’s plan
The inclusion of Praful Vasava and Raj Vasava into the BJP is expected to “boost the party’s ground strength” in the tribal areas ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls, as it aims to further cement its hold in the region, especially the Dediapada Assembly constituency, which has eluded the BJP since the 2017 Assembly polls. The party had, however, emerged as a winner in the tribal belt of Gujarat in 2022, bagging 23 of the 27 seats, defeating the Congress in 14 of the 17 tribal seats it had won in 2017, in alliance with the BTP.
A senior BJP leader said, “The event at Dediapada was held in order to welcome the leaders into the party as well as to thank the tribal community at large for its constant faith in the BJP… The two leaders have a lot of influence in Narmada, Chhota Udepur and Bharuch districts, where Chaitar Vasava has become a force to reckon with, especially capturing the imagination of the youth…”
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The BJP leaders added that with “visible development” in the region that has “brought employment and better standard of living due to educational institutions”, the local population will “believe” the reason for the shift made by the local leaders.
“The fact is that today tribal youth are able to pursue professional courses and become doctors, engineers, lawyers and choose a life they want… There are opportunities for dignified employment in the region and ahead of the 2027 polls, the new leaders will have enough time to reiterate the BJP’s pitch for SoU as the model for tribal development and the upcoming tourism projects in the area… Ultimately, people want progress and opportunities,” the senior BJP leader said.
AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava on Wednesday criticised Sanghavi and the BJP for holding a rally and political event at the time of the ongoing Gujarat State Education board exams. Chaitar Vasava also said that the BJP, at the time of the ongoing Assembly session, was “laying more emphasis on political events, rather than providing answers to questions raised in the House”.
Senior Congress leaders said that Praful Vasava was “not associated with the party” and Raj Vasava was “never an active Congress leader” and that it would not affect the party in the region.
Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.
Expertise:
Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including:
Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground.
Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure.
Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case).
Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions.
Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More
