Gujarat Elections: 7-Time Tribal MLA Chhotu Vasava Loses Legacy Seat To BJP's Ritesh Vasava

Of the 27 seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata. Party seems to be inching ahead in Jhagadia where the party is giving a tough contest to veteran tribal leader and founder of the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) Chhotu Vasava. With counting for the 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat on Thursday coming to an end, the seven-time MLA lost Jhagadia seat in Bharuch district. The former MLA secured 33.64 percent votes while BJP secured over 45 percent of the votes, marking a first victory in the seat after decades.

Chhotu Vasava was in contest with his former aide and BJP candidate Ritesh Vasava, who was ahead by over 6,000 votes after three rounds. Ritesh worked with Chhotu Vasava for two decades before switching loyalties to BJP.

High drama ensued in Jhagadia ahead of the elections when the 78-year-old Chhotu Vasava, formerly with the JD(U), contested this seat as an independent candidate this time after his son Mahesh Vasava entered the fray as the BTP candidate. Mahesh later withdrew his candidature from the seat. Mahesh's candidacy from Jhagadia instead of his usual seat Dediapada was itself seen as a consequence of Aam Aadmi Party's entry into tribal areas. The party fielded veteran Adivasi leader and former BTP leader Chaitar Vasava from Dediapada.

Nevertheless, in Jhagadia, Chhotu Vasava has firmly held sway irrespective of which party comes to powerin the state, contesting either as an independent or a candidate of Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United) or the BTP. 

In the past three decades, the Congress as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have ended up as runners-up in the battle against Chhotu Vasava. The Congress had won this seat, reserved for the tribal community, in 1985 - nearly four decades back. 

In an interview with Outlook, Chootu Vasava said that both the BJP and Congress had exploited the tribal vote for decades. However, the party which had previously entered into an alliance with AAP before their relations soured ahead of elections, also blamed Kejriwal's entry into the poll fray. "AAP is BJP's B-Team," the BTP patriarch had claimed ahead of polling in Bharuch. 

While he accused the Congress, which has traditionally ruled in tribal seats, of being incompetent, Chootu Vasava claimed hat the "Hindutva" plank of the saffron party has been working in rural areas. He also said that the AAP was "buying" tribal leaders formerly associated with parties like the BTP. 

The AAP, however, has accused BTP of breaking its alliance with it after pressure from the BJP. 

The Jhagadia seat has turned into a prestige battle for the BJP which put all its might behind campaigning for its candidate. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi themselves canvassed for Ritesh Vasava, indicating the significance the saffron party had attached to this seat. 

While the Congress had fielded Fatehsinhbhai Vasava, from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Urmila Bhagat was in the fray.

The tribal-dominated seat from Bharuch district has 2,58,955 voters.

(With inputs from PTI)