Gujarat local bodies polls: Congress MLA, legislators' kin lose

Even as the BJP surges ahead in the local bodies' polls in Gujarat, among the losers on the Congress side were an MLA and sons of seven sitting MLAs.

Counting of votes in 81 municipalities, 31 district panchayats and 231 taluka panchayats of the state is currently underway, the polling having been held on February 28.

In a major upset, Niranjan Patel, a three-time Congress MLA from Petlad in Anand district, lost from ward number 2 and 5 of Petlad municipality.

His son, Saurabh Patel, too lost to the BJP in the same municipality.

Vijay Parmar, son of Congress MLA Punambhai Parmar from Sojitra in Anand, lost to a BJP candidate from Moraj seat in Tarapur taluka panchayat, while the former's nephew Nikunj Parmar also tasted defeat.

Yash Kotwal, son of Khedbrahma Congress MLA Ashvin Kotwal, was trounced in Chitariya in tribal-dominated Vijaynagar taluka panchayat in Sabarkantha district.

Bhiloda Congress MLA Anil Joshiara also saw his son Keval biting the dust from Upsal seat in Bhiloda taluka panchayat in the state's Arvalli district.

Similar was the fate of Paresh Vansh, son of six-time Congress MLA Punja Vansh from Una in Gir Somnath district, with the former losing to his BJP rival in Rajpara.

Vikram Madam, Congress MLA from Khambhalia in Devbhumi Dwarka, saw his son Karan losing from Vadtara seat in the district panchayat polls, while Ramdev Modhwadia, brother of former Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhwadia, was trounced in Kindarkheda seat of Porbandar taluka panchayat.

Bharatiya Tribal Party MLA Chhotu Vasava's son Dilip Vasava also failed to pass the electoral test from Rajpardi seat of Bharuch district panchayat.

Incidentally, the ruling BJP had decided to not give tickets to kin of sitting legislators and party leaders.