What was expected to be a routine bypoll for the Vav Assembly seat has turned into a fierce triangular battle with Independent candidate Mavji Patel intensifying his campaign against the BJP, and specifically targeting state party president C R Patil.

“This isn’t just about defeating BJP. It’s about dismantling CR Patil’s power structure,” declared the former BJP stalwart during an impassioned campaign speech in Banaskantha district. 

Having entered the fray as an Independent after being denied a BJP ticket, Patel is now facing off against the BJP’s Swaroopji Thakor and Congress’s Gulabsinh Rajput.

And he’s not pulling any punches

In a series of pointed attacks, Patel accused BJP leadership of autocratic decision-making. Specifically pointing the finger at Patil, Patel accused his former colleague of acting “as if he were a god”.

“From Delhi to State General Secretary Ratnakar, everything was decided without consulting anyone on the ground,” Patel charged.

The rebel candidate also took aim at Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, contrasting his usual inaccessibility with his current door-to-door campaigning. 

“One needs an appointment to meet Sanghavi normally, but now he’s going house to house seeking votes,” Patel observed.

“I was a BJP soldier, and they neglected me. Now they’ll pay the price,” warned Patel, framing the contest as “truth versus falsehood”.

Given that the Thakor, Rajput, and Chaudhary communities hold significant sway in this constituency of 3,10,681 voters, Patel’s independent run had initially prompted questions on whether his candidacy was secretly backed by the BJP. Patel has since denied that charge. 

Meanwhile, the BJP has deployed a large contingent of ministers and leaders to win the Vav seat.

A fierce three-way battle is unfolding in the Banaskantha district’s Vav constituency for the bypolls, with BJP candidate Swaroopji Thakor, Congress candidate Gulabsinh Rajput, and independent candidate Patel.

Previously a key BJP figure in Vav, Mavji Patel’s independent run had initially prompted the public to wonder if his candidacy stemmed from party encouragement or a reaction to personal dissatisfaction. Patel clarified that he filed his candidacy because the party ‘did not grant him a ticket’, not due to any disloyalty.

Caste equations play a substantial role in the Vav constituency with 3,10,681 voters. The largest group is the Thakor community, followed by Rajput and Chaudhary. 

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