April 26 local body elections in Gujarat: Days after withdrawing from corporation polls, Surat Congress leader joins BJP citing ‘groupism’

The Congress had nominated Ramanandi and three others – Khuman Singh Darjawat, Munira Shaikh and Prakruti Rathod – as its candidates from Ward No. 18. Voting for the elections is scheduled on April 26.

All four of them had submitted their forms at the Surat district Collector’s office which were also scrutinised. On April 15, the last day of withdrawal of the forms, Ramanandi reached the election department office and submitted an application withdrawing his candidature. Congress candidate from Ward No. 1 Bonnie Patel also withdrew.

The Congress had taken all its Surat candidates to Udaipur, Daman and Vapi, to protect them from what the party called “pressure tactics of the BJP”. However, due to the last minute decision of the two leaders, the Congress is contesting 117 out of the corporation’s 120 seats after one leader’s nomination was rejected.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the 52-year-old Ramanandi said, “The BJP has not lured me with money or any other assurance, I have voluntarily withdrawn my candidature, to teach a lesson to the Congress for its inaction against internal groupism in the party. I have written a letter to the Congress high command complaining about the internal politics in the Congress. I have been with Congress for the last 30 years, and I have never betrayed the party…”

Ramanandi alleged that ‘internal groupism’ in the Congress was instrumental in the defeat of him and his wife in the SMC elections of 2021 and 2025, respectively.

Ramanandi also alleged that after filing his nomination, he came to know that one of the three other candidates fielded by the Congress in Ward No. 18 had worked for the BJP to get him defeated in 2025 in the by-election of a seat in the same ward. He added that he had lodged a complaint in this regard to party leadership, but no action was taken.

Responding to the claims, Surat City Congress president Vipul Udhnawala said, “Sanjay Ramanandi’s allegations are baseless. (After withdrawal of his candidature) he is facing public hatred and so he is saving his skin by making baseless allegations against Congress leaders. He had approached us to contest the election and we had given him a ticket.”