Hitesh Barot elected Ahmedabad mayor

Ahmedabad: BJP corporator from Thaltej Ward, Hitesh Barot, was on Tuesday elected as the new mayor of Ahmedabad during the general board meeting of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) held at its headquarters. BJP’s Anju Shah was elected deputy mayor, while Kamlesh Patel was appointed chairman of the standing committee.Barot, former chairman of the standing committee, secured the mayoral post through a majority vote in the BJP-dominated civic house. Congress had fielded Mona Prajapati for the post of mayor and Hajibhai Mirza for deputy mayor, but both BJP nominees emerged victorious.The general board meeting also confirmed the appointment of Jashu Thakor from Shahibaug Ward as leader of the ruling party and Atul Mishra from Chandkheda Ward as party whip.Kamlesh Patel from Khokhra Ward was named chairman of the standing committee. Other members of the standing committee include Ketan Patel, Rakesh Parikh, Niraj Gajjar, Chandraprakash Khanchandani, Rajesh Patel, Ghanshyam Barot, Jayashreeben Dasari, Suman Solanki, Rupal Bhatt, Neeta Desai, and Maulik Patel.Meanwhile, Jainik Vakil, Ekta Rawal, Paresh Lakhani, Jayesh Patel, Devang Mehta, Rakesh Saxena, Praveen Patel, Rekha Desai, and Rajendra Jani withdrew their nominations.The appointment of the AMTS chairman remained pending, while chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of 11 civic committees are expected to be appointed in next month’s general board meeting.The appointments come less than a month after the BJP registered a sweeping victory in the 2026 civic body elections, winning 160 of the 192 seats across 48 wards and retaining power in the civic body for the fifth consecutive term.Barot began his political career as the sarpanch of Bodakdev Gram Panchayat and later became active in the cooperative sector, serving as a director in cooperative banks. He was first elected as a BJP corporator from Thaltej Ward in 2021 and served as chairman of the standing committee between 2021 and 2023. Re-elected in the 2026 civic polls, he has now assumed the city’s top municipal post.Talking to media persons, Barot said that he will not avail any benefits associated with the mayor’s post. He said he will not use the official car or bungalow and will instead travel in his own electric vehicle. He also put up a notice outside his office requesting visitors not to bring gifts, bouquets, or shawls.Anju Shah, who retained her seat from Sabarmati Ward in the recent elections, was elected by majority vote.On Wednesday, mayor Barot and his team of officials will visit sites to review the ongoing Kharicut Canal Redevelopment Project and Lake Interlinking Project in Ramol. The mayor is also expected to hold a meeting with corporators and officials of the East Zone.