In tribal belt, Chaitar carries AAP on his shoulders

Vadodara/Surat: While the BJP's organisational machinery and political dominance remained largely unchallenged across rural Gujarat, the tribal-dominated Narmada's hilly villages offered a rare patch of resistance.Dediapada's AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava proved to be the lone thorn in the BJP's otherwise smooth march, convincingly winning the district panchayat in the region that houses the world's tallest statue, the Statue of Unity, which the government claims has transformed the socio-economic condition of the tribal region.AAP wrested control of four of the six taluka panchayats and the district panchayat with 15 of the 22 seats, a performance widely seen as a reflection of Vasava's personal influence. In the 2021 elections, the BJP won 19 out of 22 seats while Congress won two seats.A feisty tribal leader, 37-year-old Vasava has built a reputation for hitting the roads, a white scarf slung across his shoulders, championing issues of villagers and tribal communities. Whether it is land disputes, forest rights, industrial accidents or local administrative grievances, he is often seen leading protests and confronting officials, projecting himself as a fearless voice of the hills and forests.Two days ago, he slapped a relative of a man who died in a factory fire in Jhagadiya, Bharuch, while demanding higher compensation for the victims."It's people's victory. People trusted us and voted for us without any fear. I promise that our representatives will serve people efficiently in the coming days," said Chaitar, who was once the trusted lieutenant of tribal strongman Chhotu Vasava, a seven-time MLA.Last year, Chaitar was arrested on charges of attempted murder after he allegedly attacked a taluka panchayat functionary during a dispute. The episode briefly landed the MLA behind bars, but it also burnished his image among supporters as a leader fearlessly taking on the establishment.The Narmada victory came amid the disappointing performance of AAP in Surat, where its seats fell to just 4 from 27 won in the 2021 Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) election. Of the 27, 12 defected to the BJP later.With Narmada and Saurashtra, AAP expanded its electoral fortunes in Gujarat's villages and semi-urban areas, dramatically increasing its tally of district and taluka panchayat seats from 45 in 2021 to 407 in 2026.Party leaders attribute the rural gains to sustained campaigns on farmers' issues, including demands for adequate compensation for crop losses, reforms in crop insurance mechanisms and better support prices.Commenting on the party's performance, Arvind Kejriwal said, "AAP has won almost 10 times more seats compared to last time. With the speed at which the party is advancing in Gujarat, one thing is clear: to uproot the lotus from Gujarat, the people are now placing their trust in the 'broom'."AAP got 10.27% voteshare in 15 municipal corporations, 12.4% in district panchayats, 12.67% in taluka panchayats. However, in 84 municipalities, it was a dismal 4.89%.