Moving forward: Congress asks Geniben Thakor to become voice of Gujarat in the Lok Sabha
Updated: Jun 13th, 2024
Geni Thakor, the lone Congress candidate to stay anchored amid the saffron wave that swept Gujarat in the recent Lok Sabha election, is preparing to move to New Delhi.
Thakor handed in her resignation as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Vav to Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary on June 13.
Thakor edged out the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rekha Chaudhary by 30,000 votes to become Banaskantha’s first woman Member of Parliament since 1962, when Zohra Chavda won on a Congress ticket.
The two-time Vav MLA was felicitated by her party colleagues, including former Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda, in the state Assembly. Congress MLAs, both current and former, applauded her for working for the people and raising her voice for them in the Assembly. They also asked that she now become the voice of Gujarat, presenting the “problems and real picture” from the state, in the Lok Sabha.
Veraval MLA Vimal Chudasma thanked her for helping him learn how to present people's problems and question members of the ruling party in the House.
Jamalpur-Khadia MLA Imran Khedawala compared Thakor to the Queen of Jhansi and hailed her victory.
With the accolades also came advice. Informing Thakor on the privileges of being an MP, Virjibhai Thumar, who has served as both MP and MLA in the past, said: “Now if you write letters, the Prime Minister will know about the problems in the state.”
Former Union Minister and KhedBrahma MLA Dr Tushar Chaudhary pointed out that Thakor would be representing all of Gujarat, and not just Banaskantha in the Lok Sabha. “Geniben Thakor will go to the Lok Sabha as a sister of Gujarat and not only of Banaskantha, and will become the voice of Gujarat in the Lok Sabha,” he predicted.
Geni Thakor’s political journey
The north Gujarat politician initially tasted defeat in the 2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election when she contested from the Vav constituency. Running again in 2017 on a Congress ticket, she won by 6,655 votes. Her success continued into the 2022 elections, where she was re-elected from Vav.
Following the highly charged Lok Sabha battle in Banaskantha, speculation is now rife within Congress regarding the nomination for the Banaskantha by-election. Reports suggest that former Tharad MLA Gulabsinh Rajput could be the chosen candidate, with caste considerations playing a significant role in the decision-making process.
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