In his first remarks to BJP workers after the Lok Sabha election results, Union minister for Jal Shakti CR Paatil thanked them for their hard work. While addressing an event in Surat organised by the city unit of the party, he also took the responsibility of the l1oss in one Lok Sabha constituency in the state.
The BJP could not claim a hat-trick this time after winning all 26 seats in Gujarat in 2014 and 2019. The Congress’s Geniben Thakor won in Banaskantha.
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“The Gujarat BJP makes a record in every election. The BJP got 1.68 crore votes in the 2022 assembly elections in the state and 1.83 crores votes this year in the Lok Sabha elections. This was excluding the Surat seat, which we won uncontested. In the 2022 assembly election, Congress got 90 lakh votes while this time in Lok Sabha elections, the party got 1.01 crore votes. If an election were to take place in Surat, the BJP would have got another 8 lakh votes,” said Paatil.
Stressing that the BJP’s tally in the Gujarat Assembly now stands at 161 after winning all five constituencies in bypolls, the state BJP chief further added, “But this time, we could not claim a hat-trick in the Lok Sabha elections. I take responsibility for it… as some mistakes happened.”
Days after assuming charge of a new portfolio, Paatil also appealed to party leaders and workers to install rainwater harvesting systems. He announced that the BJP councilors will be trained to spread information about rainwater harvesting in their areas. He appealed for taking steps to increase green cover.
At the meeting, Gujarat Home minister Harsh Sanghavi said, “This time those who had returned after spending summer vacations outside to the city might have come across countdown timing traffic signals installed at 184 locations. The police department and Surat Municipal Corporation are working jointly to reduce the timings of vehicle riders at traffic signals. We have found a 20 per cent decrease in grave accidents.”
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
