Suspended Vadodara BJP corporator, ex-MLA’s daughter join Congress ahead of civic polls
Joshi and Deepa were welcomed into the Congress by Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Chavda and Leader of Opposition Tushar Chaudhary along with AICC leader Mukul Wasnik.
Ahead of the upcoming Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) polls, suspended BJP Corporator Ashish Joshi of Ward 15 as well as Deepa Shrivastav, daughter of former BJP MLA Madhu Shrivastav from Waghodia, joined the Congress on Monday. The developments came minutes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi departed from Vadodara after addressing a gathering of tribal leaders.
Joshi was suspended from the BJP last year for “indiscipline” following the incident in which two mothers of victims of the January 2024 Harni Boat tragedy had interrupted Chief Minister Bhpendra Patel’s speech in May last year.
Joshi and Deepa were welcomed into the Congress by Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Chavda and Leader of Opposition Tushar Chaudhary along with AICC leader Mukul Wasnik. Along with Joshi, his BJP colleague from Ward 15, Parul Patel, as well as social activists Swejal Vyas and Karni Sena’s Mahendrasinh Rathod also joined the Congress.
Deeopa said that she had joined the Congress to follow the footsteps of her father, Madhu Shrivastav as well as her paternal uncle and Congress leader Chandrakant Shrivastav.
“The Congress invited me to join the party and I accepted the invitation in order to be able to serve the people. I have been seeing how my father has worked for the people since I was 10 years old… Today, I am 40 and I will follow the footsteps of my father in social work and resolving people’s issues,” Deepa said.
Joshi said that he would contest the upcoming civic polls.
“I have been fighting for the victims of the Harni Boat tragedy and the BJP had suspended me for indiscipline as I did not toe their line on the issue… The BJP did not show respect for two women, who lost their children in the Harni boat tragedy. The Congress aligns with the thought of justice for the victims… The BJP, while suspending me for six years, gave in writing that they were suspending me for aligning with the thoughts of the opposition. So, I thought, I must support the party that moved an application to seek justice for the Harni boat tragedy victims. Both Parulben and I will work for the people and fight for justice for the victims of the Harni tragedy,” Joshi said.
Parul Patel said that she was forced to sever ties with the BJP as the party had “repeatedly disrespected” her over the Harni issue. “They (BJP leaders) have stopped answering my phone calls because I was supporting the Harni tragedy victims… They stopped inviting me for party events and sidelined me. I had even raised the issue at the top but it did not help… I thought it was time to move on as the aim is to work for the people,” she said.
While the entry of the locally-active leaders is seen as a boost for the Congress, the BJP downplayed the developments. A senior BJP leader said, “The people who have joined the Congress are either those who were suspended by the party (Joshi) or those who were repeatedly indulging in indiscipline and have made their choice… They were involved in indiscipline. It will not affect the prospects of the BJP in Vadodara as the voters of the city are with us…”
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
