First-time corporators are mayors of Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar & Bhavnagar

Mawani has roots in Saurashtra while Patil and Tripathi are originally from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, respectively. Patel is from Surat. All the newly-appointed leaders had contested for the first time and won municipal elections in 2021. They will stay in office for the remaining two-and-a-half years of the five-year tenure.

In Rajkot, a teacher, Nayna Pedhadiya (51), who runs a private school, was elected as the city’s 34th mayor. She replaces Pradip Dav, who completed his two-and-a-half year tenure on Tuesday. Pedhadiya’s candidature was announced at a special meeting of the general board of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC), which has 68 BJP corporators among the total 70 members.

The Opposition Congress has only two corporators left after Vashram Sagathiya and Komal Bharai – the other two party corporators – were disqualified last year under the anti-defection law after they crossed over to the AAP.

Pedhadiya is a Patidar who has served as the convenor of the Mahila Morcha of BJP’s Rajkot city unit from 2017 to 2021 and as secretary of the Rajkot city BJP unit in 2008. Before becoming BJP’s president for RMC ward 7 in 2001, Pedhadiya was associated with the RSS. She had contested her maiden election in 2021 from ward 4.

Narendrasinh Jadeja alias Tikubha, a BJP corporator from ward 3, was elected as the deputy mayor of Rajkot. He succeeds Kanchan Siddhpura, a BJP corporator from ward 16 who was elected deputy mayor on March 20, this year. Siddhpura, who was elected after then incumbent deputy mayor Darshita Shah resigned on February 20 following her election as MLA from Rajkot (West) constituency, held the post for less than six months.

Jaymin Thakar, elected as the chairman of the RMC Standing Committee, replaces Pushkar Patel, who served two terms as the chairman. Thakar had organised an all-region mass wedding ceremony in the city and invited Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil to address the couples and their relatives. In the past, he had served as chairman of RMC’s health and cultural affairs committee.

Manish Radiya, BJP corporator from ward 2, was appointed the BJP whip in the RMC while Leelu Jadav, BJP corporator from ward 11, was made the leader of the ruling party.

In Surat, the new office-bearers were announced by city BJP president Niranjan Jajmera. The SMC has 93 BJP corporators in the 120-member general board.

Mayor Daxesh Mawani, a Class XII graduate and textile businessman, contested the elections for the first time in 2021 from ward 6 in Katargam. He told The Indian Express, “I will undertake the Tapi river front project, build 50-bed hospitals in all eight zones of SMC and also take up other development projects that are in the pipeline.”

Rajan Patel, the new SMC Standing Committee chairperson, was also elected from ward 9 for the first time in 2021. “I was not expecting to be given such an important post, but I had a hope that in the BJP, anything can happen. My appointment has given hope to many BJP workers that they can also get important posts,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Naresh Patil, a bachelor of ayurvedic medicine and surgery degree holder, had contested and won for the first time in 2021 from ward 26. Patil said he has been with BJP for the last 20 years. “I still treat patients at my clinic in Dindoli and will continue to do so,” he added.

Meanwhile, Vinod Khimsurya, a first-time corporator of the Jamnagar Municipal Corporation (JMC), was elected 30th mayor of Jamnagar on Tuesday. He succeeds Bina Kothari, who completed her two-and-a-half year term on Tuesday.

A builder by profession, 52-year-old Khimsurya has been a BJP worker for the last 25 years and has served as general secretary and vice-president of the party’s Jamnagar city unit. He has also served as the president of Jamnagar Dalit Samaj.

Krishna Sodha, who is serving her second term as JMC corporator, was elected deputy mayor while Nilesh Kagathara was elected as chairman of JMC Standing Committee.

In Bhavnagar, contrary to speculations, Bharat Barad (60) was elected as the new mayor, beating the likes of Babu Mer, Mahesh Vaja and Ashok Baraiya in the race. Barad, who runs a small business of framing digital banners and lives in a rented accommodation, had won his maiden election in 2021 when he was elected a corporator of Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 2021. He replaces Kirtiben Danidhariya.

Mona Parekh (60), a homemaker and a first-time BMC corporator, was elected deputy mayor of Bhavnagar while Rajesh Rabadiya (47) – a builder serving his second term as BMC corporator – was elected chairman of the BMC Standing Committee.