Sarpanch to Ahmedabad Mayor: Hitesh Kantilal Barot, who helped Amit Shah win his first Assembly election

Originally from Thaltej village that is now a part of a highly upscale area and one of the 48 wards in Ahmedabad city, also residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Barot was recently elected as a councillor from Thaltej ward for the second time in the local body elections held on April 26.

Senior politicians who have worked closely with Barot recall him being appointed as general secretary of Thaltej Gram Mandal in 1988 – seen as his first political responsibility. He became socially active in 1987 when he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and remained an active member till the late 1990s.

“The party chose the right person. He is a senior BJP karyakarta and a worthy Mayor. He comes from a prosperous family. His mother too was a sarpanch. When Amit Shah contested his first Sarkhej Vidhan Sabha election, we were the karyakartas,” Meenaxiben Patel, former Ahmedabad Mayor told The Indian Express.

Hitesh Kantilal Barot thanked the party’s leadership for the trust and responsibility and also declared that he would not use the ‘Mayor Bungalow’ or government vehicles, opting for his own electric vehicles. “I will not use government vehicles for my personal use but only as per protocol and when required. Till date, I have not availed of any additional government facilities. By the grace of God, whatever facilities are available to me for living and transportation I will continue to use those in the future also and serve the public,” Barot said after taking charge as Mayor.

Back in 1997, Barot coordinated with the Baxi Panch community for Amit Shah’s first Assembly constituency election.

He also brought together the Baxi Panch community across 18 villages in Daskroi taluka for the late Sarkhej BJP MLA Harishchandra Patel too from 1990 until Patel’s death in 1996. Patel was also Gujarat Legislative Assembly Speaker from 1995.

“Hitesh Barot, considered part of Amit Shah’s core team in Ahmedabad, did his best to ensure that Amit Shah won that 1997 bypoll. In mid 1990s, Barot was one of the office-bearers of Daskroi’s BJP Yuva Morcha. Sarkhej Assembly constituency consisted of Daskroi’s villages also known as the 23 Baxi Panch villages. He has a standing and image among his community. It was then that Barot won over Shah’s confidence and trust. He was also in-charge of these villages who brought together the Baxi Panch Samaj when the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee contested Gandhinagar Lok Sabha election in 1996 and in the later elections too,” a senior BJP leader told this newspaper.

From 1997, Amit Shah was elected as Sarkhej MLA mutiple times until the seat was abolished following the 2008 delimitation process.

The term ‘Baxi Panch’ originated in 1972 when the Gujarat government appointed a commission headed by Justice A R Baxi to identify backward communities. The commission’s recommendations led to what is officially known as “Baxi Panch” that constitutes nearly 150 socially and educationally backward castes of Gujarat.

“With over 25 years of experience and maturity, Hiteshbhai is well versed with the administrative and infrastructure issues of both east and west Ahmedabad. He is known for his listening to people patiently and resolving their issues – This he has proved during his term as AMC Standing Committee chairman,” former Mayor Gautam Shah told this paper.

From Bodakdev Gram Panchayat Sarpanch in 2001 till 2005 to Ahmedabad Mayor within 25 years Barot has also held some of the powerful positions including vice chairman and chairman of Ahmedabad Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in 2010 and 2014, respectively, one of the directors of Gujarat State Co-operative Marketing Federation Limited (Gujcomasol) and Gujarat State Co-Operative Bank.

At present, he is one of the directors of the Ahmedabad District Co-operative Bank.

“For years, Hiteshbhai has worked as part of the BJP organisation in Ahmedabad city. He is known for being a grassroots person with no arrogance. Even during his term as the Standing Committee chairman he was known for his down to earth behaviour where he would leave his chair for leaders from the organisation. He is the one who will be happy for not sharing the stage with national party leaders though now being the Mayor he has to as part of protocol,” one of his close party leaders shared.

The Standing Committee is considered the most powerful body of AMC as every large expenditure proposal requires approval from this Committee.

When he was given a ticket for the first time in 2021 for AMC elections from Thaltej ward, that time too speculations of his political journey to take a big leap were rife. Known to have worked behind the scenes and not avoiding limelight, Barot’s term will be significant ahead of CWG 2030 in Ahmedabad and preparations for Olympics 2036.

Other appointments

The new office-bearers’ team of the AMC was officially appointed by the BJP on Tuesday. Anjuben Shah has been appointed as Deputy Mayor, Kamleshbhai Patel as Chairman of the Standing Committee, Jashubhai Thakor as the Leader of the Ruling Party and Atulbhai Mishra as the Whip.

The newly appointed team officially started its term from Tuesday. The new team has already assured work to be carried out at a faster pace for modern infrastructure development, traffic management, sanitation system, water supply, health services, green development and further empowerment of civic facilities in Ahmedabad city in the coming months,