IT raids on BNJD leader Sanjay Gajera’s premises in Gandhinagar

An Income Tax operation was conducted in Gandhinagar on Wednesday morning (November 12) at three locations linked to Sanjay Vitthalbhai Gajera, the founder of the Bharatiya National Janata Dal (BNJD), one of the highest-earning registered but unrecognised political parties in the country.

According to reports, IT officials arrived in five vehicles and searched Gajera’s residence in Gandhinagar, his office at Megh Malhar Complex, Sector-11, and his driver’s house in Green City.

The raids were conducted amid rising controversy over the unusually high income of certain political parties in Gujarat that are registered with the Election Commission, but not officially recognised due to poor electoral performance.

As per data from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), five such Gujarat-based parties collectively earned ₹2,316 crore between 2019–20 and 2023–24, with the BNJD alone reporting an income of ₹957 crore, making it the highest among them.

Despite this, these parties managed to secure only around 22,000 votes across two Lok Sabha and one Assembly election in the last five years.

Officials are reportedly examining documents, properties, and financial transactions recovered during the searches as part of the ongoing investigation.