The Gujarat High Court permitted AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava to enter Dediapada till April 30 for local body polls, modifying earlier bail condition. Express Photo
With voting for Gujarat’s local body elections scheduled for Sunday, the Gujarat High Court Thursday granted relief to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Gujarat working president and Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava, allowing him to enter Dediapada taluka in Narmada district until April 30.
The decision has added a sharp political edge to the contest in his home turf, with Vasava set to undertake a marathon campaign Friday, the final day of canvassing.
Allowing Vasava’s application, Justice M R Mengdey modified the conditions of the court’s earlier bail order of September 9, 2025, restraining Vasava from entering the tribal Dediapada taluka in the Narmada district for a year.
“…due to ensuing elections to the local bodies in the State of Gujarat and the applicant herein being the elected MLA for the area, would like to canvass for the candidates who have contested the election for his political party, and therefore, the applicant be permitted to enter the Dediapda Taluka for a limited period till the election dates over,” Justice Mengdey said in the order.
Campaign plans
Close aides of the AAP MLA told The Indian Express Friday that Vasava will be at his home until April 30 and will also cast his vote on April 26. On Friday, Vasava has planned an intense campaign route on his home turf to “reconnect with voters he has not met in a while”.
The timing of the order is significant. Recently, several of Chaitar’s close aides, including Dediapada taluka president Rajendra Vasava, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last week. With local body elections underway, his return is seen as politically important for the AAP, which has maintained influence in the region largely due to his popularity.
His brief return to Dediapada after nearly a year is seen as a boost to the AAP’s campaign, particularly since the complainant in the case is a local BJP leader.
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In his absence, his wives, Shakuntala and Varsha, had been actively campaigning for the party.
What the court said
Public Prosecutor Hardik Dave opposed Vasava’s application, contending that “there are all chances that some untoward incident may take place” and also submitted that the AAP leader may be permitted to enter into the Dediapda Taluka area “after the election is over”.
Considering the submissions of Vasava’s advocate, Zubin Bharda, the high court said, “Having regard to the fact that the applicant is an elected MLA of the Dediapda Taluka and wants to enter the Dediapda Taluka for the purpose of the ensuing election to the local bodies of the State of Gujarat, the application is hereby partly allowed. The condition in question is ordered to be suspended till April 30, 2026.”
“However, it is expected of the applicant that he shall not try to contact the original complaint – first informant in any manner whatsoever, nor shall he create any situation that might lead to an untoward incident.”
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Advocate Bharda told The Indian Express that once the court’s deadline ends, Vasava will resume staying outside Dediapada taluka. He will continue handling work in the restricted area remotely while visiting other parts of his constituency as usual.
The high court granted bail to Chaitar Vasava in September last year on a surety of Rs 10,000 and also imposed the condition that he will not enter Dediapada taluka for a year. Chaitar’s home in Bogaj is also under Dediapada.
The case stems from a complaint filed on July 5, 2025, by BJP leader and Dediapada taluka panchayat president Sanjay Vasava. He alleged that Chaitar Vasava abused Sagbara taluka panchayat president Champa Vasava and later threw a mobile phone and a glass at him when he tried to intervene. The AAP MLA was subsequently arrested and lodged in Vadodara Central Jail.
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
