In 2021, the BJP had won 18, and the Congress five seats in Dharampur. One seat was won by independent candidate Kalpesh Patel, the current winning independent candidate’s husband. Over the last two and a half years, Piyush Mahala headed the taluka panchayat as the president.
In Valsad district’s Dharampur, it is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is apprehensive of ‘horse trading’.
In the 24-seat taluka panchayat, while the BJP is above the halfway mark with 13 seats, the Congress has improved its tally to 10 after the April 26 elections. One other seat was won by independent candidate Sunita Kalpesh Patel, who has offered her support to the Congress, it was learnt.
To avoid the party’s winning candidates from being ‘poached’, the BJP’s Dharmpur MLA Arvind Patel has moved them to Gandhinagar. Family members of all the 13 individuals had been informed that they were safe in Gandhinagar, the MLA said.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Patel said: “All 13 BJP winning candidates are with us in Gandhinagar. Six of them are women, who have come here with their husbands. We also allow them to travel if it is urgent, but they are instructed to remain at their accommodation in Gandhinagar. We will bring them back to Dharampur when the name of the taluka panchayat president is announced.”
Reportedly, three candidates were said to be in the race for the president’s post—Shakuntalaben
Chaudhary, Meenaben Bhoya, and Naynaben Dalvi. The post is reserved for women candidates for the first two and a half years.
Shakuntalaben spoke to this reporter from Gandhinagar: “I was the sarpanch of Panva Ditu Khadak gram panchayat before contesting the Dharampur TP election. My husband, Satish Chaudhary, is the current sarpanch. I got a ticket from the BJP to contest from the Ukta seat of Dharampur taluka panchayat. I secured 3,265 votes and won the election. After the election results were announced, my husband Satish and I, with our 9-year-old daughter, came to Gandhinagar on the instructions of party higher-ups.
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I am in the race for the taluka panchayat president post, and hopefully, BJP leaders will announce my name in a day or two.”
In 2021, the BJP had won 18, and the Congress five seats in Dharampur. One seat was won by independent candidate Kalpesh Patel, the current winning independent candidate’s husband. Over the last two and a half years, Piyush Mahala headed the taluka panchayat as the president.
Dharampur Congress president Rajesh Patel said: “In this election, we got five more seats, and our tally has reached 10 seats in taluka panchayat. We also have the support of an independent candidate. We are now short of only two candidates. The BJP has taken all its winning candidates to Gandhinagar. They are afraid of us, and they don’t have full confidence in their candidates. We are very sure that once the names of women candidates for the post of taluka panchayat president are declared for the first 2.5-year term, a couple of other women in the race from the BJP will reach out to us. Once they approach us, we will offer them the post of president.”
Dharampur recorded 84% voting in the last month’s elections.
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
