ગુજરાતી
English
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, May 1, 2026
In the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation elections, the Congress panel emerged victorious in the Khadia ward after 54 years. The BJP has lost this area, which was considered its legacy stronghold—the very place where the party had laid the foundation for its victories in Ahmedabad. The BJP’s defeat in the Khadia seat has become a major topic of discussion across all of Gujarat.
Out of the 192 seats in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the BJP won 160, while the Congress secured 32. Compared to the 2021 elections, the Congress has increased its tally by 8 seats this time around. The AIMIM failed to win a single seat.
In 1972, the Jana Sangh had secured a victory here through political defections. The BJP’s very first instance of winning through a defection took place in Ahmedabad. It is widely believed that Ashok Bhatt—who was elected as the MLA from this constituency eight consecutive times—played a pivotal role in transforming Khadia into a BJP bastion. However, the voters of Khadia continued to cast their ballots exclusively for the BJP. The party maintained its winning streak primarily because of the presence of active BJP workers within Khadia. The people of Khadia have historically been known for their spirited and assertive nature; the area has witnessed numerous social movements and political shifts over the years. Now, after 54 years, a significant political transformation has occurred—the BJP’s dominance in Khadia has effectively come to an end.
After 54 years, the BJP has lost its historic “heritage area.”
The defeat is largely attributed to the city’s designation as a World Heritage City. Residents had become increasingly disgruntled due to issues stemming from this heritage status.
Since the city was accorded World Heritage City status, the rate of out-migration has surged significantly. Over the past five years, approximately 10,000 families have left Khadia. Their homes have subsequently been purchased by traders. Furthermore, changes in voter demographics resulting from electoral delimitation also played a role in this outcome. Notably, Congress MLAs have now been elected from this constituency on two separate occasions.
Due to the implementation of the “S.A.R.” (Slum Clearance and Rehabilitation) scheme, the voter base in this area was reduced by 25,000 votes.
The “Hindu Card”
Rather than taking responsibility for the situation, the BJP chose to resort to rhetoric, declaring that they would not allow Khadia to turn into “Pakistan.” Responding to this statement, Khadia MLA Imran Khedawala remarked that Bhushanbhai’s comment was utterly ridiculous. He suggested that Bhushanbhai could find no other relevant issue to address here, which is why he dragged the topic of Pakistan into the local Ahmedabad elections.
When Deputy Chief Minister and Minister in-charge of the Home Department, Harsh Sanghavi, along with State President Jagdish Panchal, arrived here to campaign, they focused on issues such as terrorism and hooliganism. However, local leader Bhushan Bhatt injected religion into the discourse by declaring that they would not allow Khadia to turn into Pakistan. In reality, no one in Khadia actually addressed the major, substantive issues facing the constituency.
Khadia has a demographic makeup with a majority of Hindu voters and a minority of Muslim voters. Nevertheless, even before the candidates were officially announced, Bhushan Bhatt had already asserted that he would not let Khadia become Pakistan.
**The Congress Party**
Following their victory, the Congress party declared, “India has won; Pakistan has lost.” They added, “We do not wish to turn Khadia into Israel.” They noted that despite the Deputy CM and the State President themselves coming here to campaign against them, the people ultimately placed their trust in the Congress party.
**Congress in Khadia**
For the past 45 years, Jagat Shukla of the Congress party has been dedicated to the task of strengthening the party’s presence. The results of these efforts are now evident:
Congress candidates Dhruv Kalapi, Ilyas Pathan, Meena Nayak, and Birju Thakkar have secured victories against their BJP opponents. The BJP had disseminated misinformation—claiming that “Khadia would turn into Pakistan”—a narrative that failed to resonate with the voters. The Congress party contested the election with a single slogan: “Save Khadia from Depopulation.” This message struck a chord with the people. (It is also worth noting that the BJP itself has acknowledged that a significant number of people have indeed moved out of Khadia.)
**The SIR Process**
Following the SIR (Summary Revision) process, the voter count in Khadia has dropped by 23,000, a development that has contributed to the collapse of this traditional BJP stronghold. As a direct result of the SIR exercise, the names of deceased voters and those registered at multiple locations have been removed from the electoral rolls in Khadia. This outcome is the culmination of the extensive campaign undertaken by the Congress party to identify and eliminate fraudulent voter entries.
**Delimitation**
The delimitation (redrawing of boundaries) of the Khadia ward had previously worked to the BJP’s advantage at the time it was implemented. This delimitation took place during the tenure of the then Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, a process that led to the dismantling of Khadia’s stronghold status. Ever since Raipur and Jamalpur were incorporated into the constituency through delimitation during Modi’s era, the party’s influence there has been steadily waning. The BJP has suffered defeats in the Assembly elections for the past two consecutive terms. Now, it has lost the local elections as well. Imran Khedawala is poised to be elected as the MLA. The decline began following the redrawing of the Khadia-Jamalpur Assembly constituency boundaries during Modi’s administration.
**Bhushan**
Bhushan Ashok Bhatt—a former BJP MLA who served for one and a half terms—held other BJP leaders responsible for the party’s defeat in Khadia. He alleged that the party committed errors in the selection of candidates for Khadia and failed to consult him regarding the process. “I had only preliminary discussions with them,” he stated. Internal factionalism within the party has reached a critical level. Furthermore, local residents are reportedly disgruntled with Bhushan Bhatt. Bhatt, however, maintains that he lost due to the prevailing circumstances; he claims that voters were drifting away because they were people who had migrated from outside Gujarat.
**Praja Socialist Party**
Khadia was once a bastion of the PSP (Praja Socialist Party). The party—originally founded by ‘Induchacha’ (Indulal Yagnik) after breaking away from the Congress—eventually evolved into the Praja Socialist Party. From 1960 onwards, the PSP consistently secured six seats under its banner. Atman Shastri served as the MLA during this period.
To counter and eventually dismantle the Praja Socialist Party’s dominance, the Jan Sangh established a political base in Ahmedabad, centered specifically in Khadia.
At that time, Khadia comprised three distinct wards, which were subsequently merged into a single entity. Khadia-1 and Khadia-2 existed as two separate Assembly constituencies.
**Political Legacy**
Prior to the rise of the Jan Sangh, the PSP was the dominant political force contesting elections in Khadia. During that era, a Congress candidate was elected as a corporator, while the Praja Socialist Party also secured electoral victories; Ashok Bhatt was among those elected under the PSP banner.
Following Ashok Bhatt’s defection from the Jan Sangh to join the party—a move that brought him into their fold—the constituency transformed into a BJP stronghold.
During the Jan Sangh era, largely due to the efforts of Ashok Bhatt and Harin Pathak, the BJP’s ‘one-wheeled rule’ (a metaphor for its initial, singular dominance) in Gujarat effectively began right here in Khadia.
The BJP’s state headquarters was also situated in this very locality. Nathalal Jaghda was a native of this area, and his family continues to reside here to this day.
Prominent national political leaders would frequently visit this place. Organization Secretary Nathalal Zaghada used to commute by bicycle from the RSS office in Maninagar. This office operated for a few years. Then, to Golwad…
It was shifted to Khadia.
That office was acquired.
Vasantrao lived in Bhoni Pol. Vasantrao—a prominent Gujarati figure and national leader—resided right there. Many leaders, such as Deendayal Upadhyaya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, have stayed in this house.
In Ahmedabad, the Khanpur office was relocated from Khadia. Subsequently, the Koba office—a sprawling, five-star-standard facility—was established there.
The Jana Sangh evolved into the Janata Party, and eventually, the BJP was formed.
Harin Pathak, who became a *Rashtriya Swayamsevak* (RSS volunteer) in Khadia in 1960, entered active politics through the Jana Sangh in 1962. At that time, his duties involved putting up banners and posters. Pathak was appointed as the President of the Booth Committee.
In 1967, Harin Pathak—then a teacher—served as a functionary for the Jana Sangh in Khadia. In 1975, Harin Pathak was elected on a Jana Sangh ticket. Subsequently, he went on to win elections to the Lok Sabha six times.
In 1969, Ashok Bhatt transitioned from being a mill worker to entering active politics. Ashok Bhatt contested the election on a Jana Sangh ticket in 1969 but was defeated. In that same year, Ashok Bhatt and Jayendra Pandya contested the election against each other.
In one of the two wards, Dr. Ochhav Talati was elected representing the Congress party. He passed away in 1972. Ashok Bhatt contested the election for that vacant seat. Ashok Bhatt won that election.
Harin Pathak was elected from Khadia-1 three times. Mandvi-ni-Pol and Kameshwar-ni-Pol are prominent localities within the area.
Even during times when the BJP struggled to find candidates to contest elections elsewhere in Gujarat, the party consistently emerged victorious in Khadia.
In 1966, three MLAs representing the Jana Sangh were elected in Gujarat.
**Exodus**
A significant factor contributing to the decline of Khadia is the exodus of its Hindu population—a trend that successive BJP governments have failed to halt between 1996 and 2026. Khadia now stands largely deserted; the residents who remain are not economically well-off. Poverty has escalated, and hardships have multiplied. Following the communal riots in Ahmedabad in 1969 and 1985–86, a large number of Hindus from the Shahpur, Dariyapur, and Jamalpur areas—located within the walled city—relocated to Naranpura, Maninagar, or other parts of the city.
Subsequently, the government enacted the ‘Disturbed Areas Act’ (Unrest Act) with the specific intent of curbing property sales in these regions.
Currently, Rajasthani and Bengali artisans and traders have moved into these areas to reside.
The residential population in the Khadia localities has dwindled significantly.
In 2021, the BJP won four seats; however, the party ultimately suffered a defeat because its Hindu voter base had migrated away over the preceding five years.
The primary reason for this electoral defeat is that, over the last 25 years, the Hindu population has steadily moved out of Khadia, and their former residences are now being utilized for commercial activities.
Residential structures have been converted into commercial buildings.
Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 shops have sprung up across Khadia. It has been observed that local residents are deeply distressed by the rampant commercialization taking place in Khadia, the ensuing traffic congestion, and the continued exodus of people from the area. Furthermore, the BJP’s traditional voters in Khadia were disgruntled due to issues surrounding the sealing of old buildings.
**Rapid Decline of the ‘Heritage City’**
Due to new regulations governing the repair of old structures, residents were unable to undertake necessary maintenance work on any of the historic buildings. Moreover, old buildings in the area are now being demolished to make way for the construction of modern residential flats. Conversely, residents are selling their homes and abandoning Khadia, relocating to other parts of Ahmedabad. Wholesale traders have purchased numerous residential properties and converted them into warehouses.
Ironically, Khadia’s decline has also been exacerbated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to designate it as a ‘Heritage City.’ The demolition of historic buildings in Khadia has sparked fears that Ahmedabad might lose its coveted ‘Heritage City’ status—a consequence attributed to alleged corruption among BJP leaders. This apprehension—that Ahmedabad’s heritage status is at risk due to the corrupt practices of BJP functionaries—has persisted and intensified, particularly following the demolition of a specific historic structure within Khadia. In 2019, due to negligence, 31 heritage buildings were demolished and replaced with new structures. Despite rulings to the contrary, no action was taken against these new buildings. The ‘Kot’ area is home to 2,200 heritage buildings. According to a 2019 survey, more than 600 heritage buildings were at risk; a lack of maintenance had rendered these structures hazardous. By 2025, this number has risen to 1,000. Additionally, 200 poles in Ahmedabad are currently at risk.
Between 2000 and 2010, 12,500 historical properties were officially designated as such. Regulations were also issued for the preservation and repair of these heritage properties.
However, when the SEP conducted a survey between 2011 and 2016, 10,000 of these designated heritage properties were found to be missing.
According to the SEP survey, the Central Zone—specifically the wards of Shahpur, Khadia, Kalupur, Jamalpur, Raikhad, and Dariyapur—contained 2,236 residential heritage properties.
In addition to these, 449 institutional properties were identified, bringing the total count of historical properties to 2,985.
Those who cannot afford to purchase a new home now reside in Khadia. The majority of these residents earn a decent income.
**Builders Benefit**
Property prices in Muslim-majority areas are 30 percent higher due to the severe scarcity of land. In March 2023, MLA Imran Khedawala stated that this law should be repealed, arguing that it has become a conduit for widespread corruption and irregularities within the administration.
Khadia is also referred to as the “Land of Movements” (Andolan Ki Zameen) and is often perceived as a hotbed for communal riots.
When the BJP first won control of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in 1987, Jayendra Pandit—a grocery merchant from Khadia—served as the Mayor. (Google Translation from Gujarati)
