Among BJP members seeking tickets for Surat civic elections, 15 couples
Till Friday over 2000 persons had sought tickets for the 120 seats of the municipal corporation, the only civic body in Gujarat where all the opposition seats were taken by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the last elections in 2021.
A team of 12 observers had been sent to Surat by the State BJP unit to listen and collect proposal forms of candidates who had shown interest in contesting the elections. (File image)
Even as the BJP began the exercise of scanning prospective candidates for the upcoming Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) elections scheduled on April 26, around 15 couples, including former corporators, party leaders and workers, have sought tickets for themselves or their spouses, before the team of observers.
Till Friday over 2000 persons had sought tickets for the 120 seats of the municipal corporation, the only civic body in Gujarat where all the opposition seats were taken by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the last elections in 2021.
The SMC has 30 wards with four seats each with BJP winning 93 of 120 seats in 2021 elections and AAP candidates winning 27 seats, while Congress won nothing. Later, 14 AAP corporators shifted to the BJP, while one was suspended, leaving the current strength at 13 corporators.
A team of 12 observers had been sent to Surat by the State BJP unit to listen and collect proposal forms of candidates who had shown interest in contesting the elections.
Sources in the BJP unit of Surat city said that those couple who made representations include former BJP councillor Gauriben Sapariya, outgoing corporator from Ward no. 9 has asked for a ticket for herself or her husband, Magan Sapariya, few more corporators had also asked for tickets for them or their spouse. While other BJP party leaders and workers who had demanded tickets include, Ashit Gandhi, his wife Rajeshwari, Khimji Rathod his wife Jasuben Rathod, Nilesh Tank his wife Hina Tank, Hiren Vanwala wife Darshana, Krishna Patel his wife Meeta, Mayur Rangani, his wife Maya, Amarsinh Tank his wife Manjula, Babu Jagjivan Patel his wife Ushaben Patel and Khimji Sohan Patel his wife Jasuben Patel.
Gauriben Sapariya told The Indian Express Monday, “My husband and I have filled the proposal forms and submitted it to election observers to contest election from ward no. 9. My husband has spent 35 years in BJP, and he did not hold any post nor has he contested any election. Apart from this during my tenure, I worked on the public issues and got the SMC staffers to resolve issues faced by people from my ward. In my tenure of the last five years, not a single complaint or allegation has been made on me or my husband. We wholeheartedly and honestly worked for the party.”
A senior leader from Surat BJP said,” Currently we are only collecting the forms from the candidates interested in contesting SMC elections. The decision (on who will get the ticket) will be taken by state parliamentary body. The election observers have collected proposal forms from them. The forms will be scrutinised and later decision will be taken.”
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BJP insiders in Surat unit told The Indian Express that, on Wednesday, the observers had collected 800 forms of candidates who wanted to contest election from Ward no. 1 to 12, Similarly on Thursday a total of 750 candidates had submitted their proposal forms for wards no. 13 to 24., while on Friday around 500 candidates had submitted forms to contest election from Ward no. 25 to 30.
A BJP senior leader, on condition of anonymity, said, “This time, a record-breaking number of party leaders had approached for getting tickets in the SMC elections. With such a large number of candidates wishing to get mandates, the party will face an internal problem if tickets are denied to majority candidates.”
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
Expertise
Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.
Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress.
Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
