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Parsottam Solanki’s son can contest elections without BJP
He was the longest serving minister of Gujarat for 7 thousand days.
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, July 8, 2026
The family of Parsottam Solanki, who has always shaken BJP, has once again challenged him. From Keshubhai Patel to Narendra Modi, Anandiben Patel, Vijay Rupani and Bhupendra Patel, he has been continuously challenging him. Once again he has challenged his family.
Both Parsottam Solanki and his younger brother Hira Solanki are in politics. They have 2 sons Hiren and Divyesh. He also has a daughter and his wife.
Earlier there were rumors that Divyesh would contest the MLA elections. But Parsottambhai had refused at that time. He campaigned in the municipal elections. Parsottambhai’s health is bad, so now he wants to bring Divyesh Solanki into politics.
When the birthday of Minister of State Parsottam Solanki’s son Divyesh Solanki is fixed for July 6, 2026, he has demanded that Parsottam Solanki’s son Divyesh Solanki should be made a minister by contesting the 2027 assembly elections.
National Vice President of All India Koli Samaj, Praveen Koli has threatened BJP. He has demanded that Parsottam Solanki’s son Divyesh Solanki should be made a minister by contesting the 2027 assembly elections.
Praveen Koli, national vice president of All India Koli Samaj, said that Parsottambhai Solanki is a leader of the Koli community and has brought awareness to the community. BJP has no option. Therefore he will have to be given a ticket.
Young Divyesh Solanki has been active in politics for years. The population of Koli community is 2.5 crores. Therefore, whatever decision the party has to take, the Koli community has made up its mind that only Divyesh Solanki will contest the elections. So that after the year 2027, good days will come for the Koli community and Thakor community, although the final decision to contest the elections will be of Parasotham Bhai.
Only one voice is being heard that when is Divyesh Bhai going to contest elections? Divyesh Bhai should contest elections in the year 2027 and become MLA and reach the post of minister. He works among the people wholeheartedly.
If BJP gives the ticket, then Divyesh Bhai’s victory is certain from any seat in Saurashtra, where the number of Koli voters is high. For him, winning the election is not a big deal. There is a strong team of youth. BJP should pay attention to the fact that Divyesh Bhai will contest elections in the year 2027 and become a minister. There is no question of not giving them tickets. Whether BJP gives ticket or not, Divyeshbhai will contest elections in the year 2027 and after winning, he will become a minister.
Divyesh Solanki said
Divyesh Solanki had said, ‘I cannot say anything about this. In the coming days, we will do as my father says. We will do whatever the society says.
Parsotam Solanki said
Parsotam Bhai had said in the 2022 elections, that my son Divyesh is still young. Let five more years pass, then Divyesh will be 110 percent. My son is Hiren, he is still a child with intelligence, I did not let him suffer. I have kept him happy that son, learn and go. You know what the world is? Your father has suffered a lot. If you face such problems, I cannot tolerate it. As long as I have been alive, I have understood, learned and done everything. Then, no matter what happens, as long as I’m alive, I won’t even know what happens.
In Gandhinagar everyone sits on duty for 12 hours. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like all this, I don’t like all this red tape. I’ve been a bully and I live by the rules. I never tell anyone anything. I live as I want and it does not matter whether I am made a minister or not.
The ‘Nyay Sabha’ held in Bhavnagar after the permission of Divyesh Solanki and the political equation created after that remained in a lot of controversies.
They are asking for election tickets and openly exerting political pressure.
The Solanki family has been active in social service since the third generation. With the arrival of Divyesh Solanki, there have been frequent analyzes and controversies regarding the vote bank and dominance of the Koli community in Gujarat politics.
The main controversy related to Divyesh Solanki was the incident of stone pelting on his car in Bhavnagar on 1 April 2024. The accused was arrested.
Bhavnagar Koli Sena President Divyesh Solanki went to Bagdana with a convoy of more than 200 cars to get justice for Navneetbhai Baldhiya.
Parshottam Solanki warned in a conference in Simar village that if necessary for the society, he would even resort to deceit. Calling this statement democratically wrong, the leaders of Ahir Sena launched a scathing attack on him.
Consecutive MLA and Minister
He remained MLA continuously from 10th to 15th assembly. He is the longest serving minister of Gujarat. He has held the post of minister for 6830 days. Thus, he has been a minister for almost 20 years.
Despite the change of chief minister and several changes in the cabinet, Parshottam remains a minister in the BJP government.
Parshottam Solanki got a place in the cabinet of Keshubhai Patel, Narendra Modi, Anandiben Patel, Vijay Rupani, Bhupendra Patel.
Many chief ministers change but Solanki’s name is in the cabinet. The party never canceled his ticket. The party has never cut tickets or ministerial posts.
He became MLA for the first time in 1998 by contesting the assembly elections from Ghogha seat. In the year 1998, he became MLA for the first time from Ghogha seat.
After this he 2002, 2007, 2012
He was elected again in 2017. However, following the delimitation process, the Ghogha constituency was merged into the Bhavnagar Rural constituency. Consequently, when the constituency changed, Parshottam Solanki was elected from Bhavnagar Rural in the 2012, 2017, and 2022 elections.
By winning the election, he became an MLA for the sixth time.
Minister
Parshottam Solanki first became the Deputy Minister for Labour and Employment in Keshubhai Patel’s government on March 13, 1998.
In 1999, he was assigned to the Socially Backward Classes Welfare Department, where he served until 2001.
When Narendra Modi became Chief Minister in 2001, Solanki was given the Fisheries portfolio.
After being assigned the Labour and Employment Department in the 2012 Assembly term, he continued in the same government through 2014.
In 2019, he was once again appointed as a minister, holding the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries portfolios.
He continued as the Fisheries Minister in 2022 as well.
Served as Minister for 20 Years
He served as a minister for 1,313 days in Keshubhai Patel’s cabinet (1998–2001), and for 432 days, 876 days, and 1,828 days in Narendra Modi’s first, second, and third cabinets, respectively.
He served in the cabinet for 512 days between 2012 and 2014.
He held ministerial office for a total of 6,830 days during the tenures of Anandiben Patel and Vijay Rupani. Thus, he has served as a minister for approximately 20 years.
Parshottam Solanki, BJP MLA from Bhavnagar Rural, and Hira Solanki, BJP MLA from the Rajula-Jafarabad constituency in Amreli.
Background – Past history – according to media reports.
Hometown
His actual hometown is the New Port area of Una. He used to live in a *chawl* (tenement) in Mograpada, Andheri, Mumbai. His father, Odhavjibhai, was murdered. Parshottambhai Solanki’s father was Odhavjibhai Ramjibhai Solanki, and his mother was Meera Maa.
He has two sons, Divyesh and Hiren, and a daughter.
Father
Aurangzeb was a goon in Mograpada who used to harass the local residents. His father could not tolerate this and decided to take a stand, even at the risk of his life. He gathered some men and attacked Aurangzeb, resulting in Aurangzeb’s death. His father spent six months in jail before the court acquitted him.
His father owned a bicycle shop and was murdered.
Cassette Shop
After his father’s death, he started an audio cassette business. He opened a shop named ‘Meera Video’ and traded in audio cassettes.
Parshottam Solanki was born on May 23, 1961, in Mumbai.
Riots
Parshottambhai Solanki was an active Hindutva proponent and a key instigator of the 1992–1993 Mumbai riots.
The Srikrishna Commission conducted a high-level inquiry into the matter.
After the Srikrishna Commission report was released in Maharashtra, he felt he needed to change his field of work, so he moved to Bhavnagar.
The police beat him severely. He spent three years in Nashik Jail. He left Mogra; he had been left alone after his father’s murder and was subjected to torture. Ramesh Dubey was the MLA there at the time and feared that Parshottam Solanki would become an MLA himself.
A case was registered under TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act).
A case was registered under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act).
He was detained in Nashik Jail for three years.
Shiv Sena invited him to join the party, but he declined. He contested the election as an independent candidate and won.
He was known by the moniker ‘Bhai’. When the political parties of the time were unwilling to give him a ticket, he contested the election as an independent and won.
Solanki was a staunch Hindutva proponent, yet at that time, Purshottam Solanki was a minister in the Gujarat government.
In 1995, Purshottam Solanki and his brother Hirabhai Solanki were released from TADA charges.
Bringing Rana into the BJP
Former MP and former Gujarat BJP President Rajubhai Rana contested the 1996 Lok Sabha election as an independent candidate. He ran using the ‘Pavdo’ (spade) symbol, in a style reminiscent of Mumbai-based campaigns.
He lost by a margin of 7,500 votes.
After contesting the 1996 Lok Sabha election from the Bhavnagar seat as an independent, he was invited to join the BJP in 1997 by the then state president Rajendrasinh Rana, and he accepted the offer. Subsequently, he contested the assembly election from the Ghogha seat for the first time in 1998 and became an MLA.
When Purshottam Solanki arrived in Bhavnagar from Mumbai, there were certain influential figures in the Gohilwad region against whom he stood up to protect the Koli community.
He became a compulsion for the BJP
The BJP attempted to find alternatives to Purshottam and Hira Solanki, but none could match their popularity.
Purshottam Solanki is a master strategist.
He has a background linked to the mafia and a reputation as a ‘muscleman’.
He is in poor health. Although he is not in a condition to perform ministerial duties, he insists on remaining a minister.
The BJP does not want to antagonize Purshottam Solanki, as he could pose a threat to the party; this is a compulsion for the BJP.
The memory of the time Narendra Modi tried to remove him—only for him to later reconcile with Modi—leaves a lasting impression; the BJP cannot dare to take such a step again. Parsottam Solanki secured a total of 1,16,034 votes, representing 63.61% of the total votes cast for the seat. Congress candidate Gohil Revatsinh Batukbhai received 42,550 votes, while Aam Aadmi Party candidate Gohil Khumansinh Natubhai garnered 17,236 votes. “I remain a common man, and I will always remain one.” He often remarks that there is a world of difference between Narendra Modi and himself. Several attempts have been made to eliminate his political existence. Fish eat chicken and mutton. During the 2004 rebellion against Narendra Modi, Parsottam Solanki was in Keshubhai Patel’s camp and had used ‘harsh words’ regarding Narendra Modi. He does not wish to become the Chief Minister. Despite his poor health, the government…
They cannot afford the risk of not including him in the cabinet; this demonstrates his clout.
Bhavnagar
When MP Nimuben did not attend a program organized by Parsottam Solanki and expressed her displeasure, the BJP pressured her and asked her to visit Parsottam-bhai’s Mumbai residence to mend fences.
Koli Seats
The coastal region of Saurashtra is home to the Koli community.
The Koli community holds sway over 33 seats in Saurashtra—including Bhavnagar—and has always been at the forefront of swaying election outcomes.
During the tenure of former Chief Minister Modi, Parsottam-bhai Solanki was entrusted with the responsibility for these 33 seats, and he delivered victories in all of them; this success enabled the BJP to form the state government.
The Koli community constitutes 20–22 percent of Gujarat’s population, yet no one from this community has ever become Chief Minister. In Saurashtra, barring urban seats like Rajkot and Jamnagar, Koli votes influence the outcome across 47 constituencies. The community holds significant sway over 27 to 28 of these seats. As a prominent leader of the Koli community, Parsottam Solanki has repeatedly been appointed as a minister.
In 2012, he influenced 34 seats; given the large number of Koli voters, any MLA seeking election has to win Parsottam-bhai’s favor. With the 2022 elections in mind, several leaders—including BJP candidate Jitu Vaghani from Bhavnagar West—visited him to seek his blessings.
For years, the leadership of the Koli community rested with Kunvarji Bavaliya, a position maintained under the Congress party. He was brought into the BJP as a rival to Solanki, but he failed to displace him.
The Koli community holds sway over 40 constituencies, but there are 33 seats where Koli voters prove to be the deciding factor. Dholka, Dhandhuka, Viramgam (Ahmedabad); Rajula, Lathi, Dhari (Amreli); Botad, Palitana, Talaja, Bhavnagar Rural (Bhavnagar); Ankleshwar, Jambusar (Bharuch); Visavadar, Keshod, Una, Mangrol, Talala (Junagadh); Kadi (Mehsana); Jalalpore, Gandevi, Chikhli (Navsari); Wankaner, Jasdan, Morbi (Rajkot); Limbdi, Chotila, Wadhwan (Surendranagar); Choryasi, Kamrej, Olpad (Surat); Chhota Udepur, Pavi-Jetpur (Chhota Udepur); and the Valsad seat in Valsad district.
Parsottam Solanki holds significant sway among voters in the Koli-dominated coastal areas of Bhavnagar, Amreli, and Saurashtra. He has won every election he has contested.
Scam
In 2009, Solanki awarded fishing contracts for 58 ponds across the state without holding an auction. The contracts were allotted upon payment of just ₹40 crore, resulting in a loss of ₹400 crore to the Gujarat government.
Ishaq Maradia filed a complaint under the Anti-Corruption Act. Modi had twice rejected the request to prosecute the case. On July 26, 2012, Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal overruled the Modi government’s decision regarding the case against Solanki and granted permission to prosecute him.
Arjun Modhwadia, the Leader of the Opposition and Gujarat Congress President, alleged that Narendra Modi played a role in the scam. He also demanded Modi’s resignation on moral grounds, stating that the ₹400 crore scam was perpetrated with the “full knowledge of Chief Minister Modi” and that he should accept moral responsibility and resign. During the 2012 assembly elections, the then Energy Minister Saurabh Patel was forced to switch his constituency from Botad due to a rift with Sonalaki; he had to contest the election from the Akota seat in Vadodara.
He has facilitated the group weddings of 12,000 daughters. (Google translation from Gujarati; please refer to the original report.)
