Ahmedabad: In Chandkheda ward, close relatives are set to contest against each other in the civic body elections. The Congress has once again fielded its councillor Rajshree Kesari on one of the four seats in the ward, while the BJP has nominated Yashkumar Jadav, son of former councillor Jayanti Jadav, for one of the seats. The two candidates are cousins. Saturday was the last day for filing nominations for the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation general elections. For nearly two decades, members of the same family have been contesting elections from the Congress and the BJP in Chandkheda. In 2010, the BJP had given a ticket to Jayanti Jadav from the ward, while the Congress fielded Rajshree Kesari on a seat reserved for women candidates in the same ward. Kesari lost that election, while Jadav emerged victorious. The two leaders share a maternal uncle–niece relationship. In the 2015 civic polls, the Congress again nominated Kesari for one of the seats, while the BJP once more fielded Jayanti Jadav. This time, Kesari won from the women’s seat, while BJP candidates, including Jayanti Jadav, secured the remaining three seats. In the 2021 elections, Kesari was repeated by the Congress. However, the BJP dropped Jayanti Jadav from its list of candidates. Kesari went on to retain her seat. This year, BJP has fielded Yashkumar Jadav, the son of Jayanti Jadav, for one of the four seats in the ward. Meanwhile, Congress has again given the ticket to Rajshree Kesari. Thus, Chandkheda ward is set to witness a keen tussle between two cousins. Kesari is contesting from the general women’s seat, while Yash Jadav is in the fray from the reserved Scheduled Caste seat. “It does not matter who is contesting against me. For me, the BJP candidate is the main competitor. There is no relation between my family and my uncle’s family. I am contesting against the BJP candidate,” Kesari said.
