The BJP is ruling the Netrang Taluka Panchayat (TP) seat, with the support of a lone Congress candidate.

The AAP candidate from the Bilothi seat in Netrang TP, Gunvant Vasava (62), defeated the BJP and Congress and won by a margin of 798 votes. Gunvant and other winning candidates were purportedly taken to a private resort in Shahada taluka in Maharashtra amid concerns that the BJP may try to reach out to them.

On May 2, Gunvant Vasava accidentally fell on the bathroom floor in the resort and suffered a brain haemorrhage. He was shifted to a private hospital in Surat, where he was declared dead on May 6.

The by-election to the Bilothi seat took place on July 28, under tight police security. It saw a direct contest between the AAP’s Praveen Vasava, BJP candidate Kantilal Vasava and Congress’s Ranjeet Vasava.

As the results were announced on Thursday, the AAP’s Praveen Vasava got 2,371 votes, defeating BJP candidate Kantilal Vasava who got 1,565 votes and Congress candidate Ranjeet Vasava got 160 votes. A total of 41 votes went to NOTA.

The Netrang TP election, on 16 seats, was held in May. After the results were declared, AAP won eight seats, followed by BJP with seven, and Congress won a single seat, with its candidate Naynaben Prajapati winning the Netrang-2 seat.

After Gunvant Vasava’s death, the BJP and AAP had an equal number of winning candidates – seven each. The BJP leaders reached out to Congress candidate Naynaben Prajapati and got her support to retain power in Netrang TP. She was made vice-president of Netrang TP by BJP.

The election was contested in the absence of Chaitar Vasava, who is presently in jail, while AAP Bharuch district president Piyush Patel is also in jail, in a criminal case over allegedly assaulting a person in Jhagadiya taluka.

With the victory of Praveen Vasava, out of 16 seats in Netrang TP, BJP (with the support of Congress) and AAP had a tie, as each had 8 candidates.

Netrang Taluka president Anil Vasava said, “This victory shows that the public is with AAP and their support towards Chaitar Vasava, a well-known face in Bharuch and Narmada district. Public had poured their love in terms of votes to our candidate Praveen Vasava. Now our future step would be we will convene a meeting with our party top leaders and later decide.”

Netrang Taluka Development Officer Harish Patel said, “Both AAP and BJP has equal number of winning candidates. Now, if AAP has to rule, it should have two-third of the total elected leaders. At present, it will be too early to say anything as AAP has not started any proceedings to firm up its rule in Netrang TP.”

Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs. Expertise Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs. Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including: Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives. Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress. Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli). Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More

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