BJP Retains Chhotaudepur Ward 4 Seat as Rajniben Rathwa Wins by 752 Votes: Who Got How Many Votes?
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The BJP has retained Ward 4 of Chhotaudepur Municipality after its candidate, Dr Rajniben Rathwa, won the by-election with 1,108 votes, defeating Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates following a caste-related controversy that led to the seat becoming vacant.
Congress candidate Arjunbhai Rathwa secured 356 votes, while AAP candidate Dr Kailash Rathwa received 326 votes. Rajniben defeated the Congress candidate by 752 votes and finished 782 votes ahead of the AAP candidate.
Chhotaudepur Ward 4 By-election Result: Candidate-wise Votes
The final vote count placed the BJP candidate comfortably ahead of both challengers.
- Dr Rajniben Rathwa (BJP): 1,108 votes
- Arjunbhai Rathwa (Congress): 356 votes
- Dr Kailash Rathwa (AAP): 326 votes
The BJP candidate secured 426 more votes than the combined total of the Congress and AAP candidates, which stood at 682. The result enabled the BJP to retain the ward's seat.
Polling and Counting Dates
Polling for the Ward 4 by-election took place on October 11, 2026, with the counting scheduled for October 13. A report published ahead of the count recorded a voter turnout of 66.06% across the polling booths.
The seat was reserved for a Scheduled Tribe candidate, making the dispute over the previous member’s caste certificate central to the by-election.
How the Caste Certificate Controversy Led to the Election
The seat became vacant after the authorities cancelled Manjulaben Kishanbhai Koli’s caste certificate and disqualified her from the municipal membership. She had previously served as the municipality’s president.
According to a July 2026 report, the Vadodara divisional scrutiny committee had cancelled her certificate on May 22, 2026. Following legal proceedings, the district collector and election officer ordered her disqualification and declared the Ward 4 seat vacant under the Gujarat Municipalities Act.
BSP Candidate Withdrew Before Polling
The contest initially included a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate. However, Rajendrabhai Rajubhai Nayaka withdrew his nomination on September 29, 2026 in support of BJP candidate Dr Rajniben Jaydeepbhai Rathwa.
With the counting complete, the BJP has retained Ward 4, with Rajniben Rathwa securing 1,108 votes against 356 for Congress and 326 for AAP.
