While the Gujarat Assembly elections are seeing a triangular fight between the ruling BJP, Congress in Opposition and newcomer AAP, cricketer Ravindra Jadeja's home is witnessing a two-way fight wherein members of the same family are divided between the BJP and Congress.
While cricketer Ravindra Jadeja and his politician wife Rivaba Jadeja support the BJP, Jadeja's father and a majority of the family support Congress. Incidentally, Rivaba Jadeja is the BJP Assembly elections candidate from the Jamnagar seat in Gujarat.
Just a few days ago, Rivaba's father-in-law Anirudhsinh Jadeja came to the limelight after he campaigned for Congress. When asked how his son and daughter-in-law supporting BJP affects the family, he said that family matters and party matters are different.
On Jadeja supporting the BJP while he supports the Congress, Anirudhsinh said, "He knows it's a party matter. There is no family problem."
Jadeja's sister Naynaba Jadeja also assured that there was no family feud within the Jadeja family over the difference of political opinion and contended that several families in Jamnagar shared similar ideological diversity.
"In our family, we have freedom. Our family members can do whatever they want to do. They have the right to do that," added Naynaba Jadeja.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday ad the first phase of the elections commenced, Rivaba Jadeja who is also a Congress leader clarified speculation and told the media that there was no conflict of interest or family feud in the Jadeja family.
Who is Rivaba Jadeja?
Rivaba Jadeja joined the BJP in 2019, three years after she got married to cricketer Ravindra Jadeja. His family has traditionally been a supporter of Congress and several members of the Jadeja clan such as his sister and father work with the party. Jadeja has previously supported Rivaba Jadeja's move to contest elections on a BJP ticket, stating she wanted to follow the path of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and work for the people. He had also contended that she would learn a lot from her first-time candidacy.
Her selection came as a surprise to many. The BJP chose Rivaba Jadeja over incumbent MLA Dharmendrasinh Merubha, who won the previously Congress-held seat in 2017.
Not just her in-laws, Rivaba's own maternal family is also filled with Congress leaders. She is a relative of Congress veteran Hari Singh Solanki.
Both Naina and Anirudhsinh voted from the Jamnagar seat Thursday morning in the first (of two phases) of polls. Ravindra and Rivaba also cited. Votes will be counted on December 8.
