Gujarat AAP MLA in jail, his two wives take up his political agenda

With the influential tribal leader and the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP's) MLA from Dediapada Chaitar Vasava behind bars, the political baton in the tribal belt of South Gujarat is being carried by his two wives, Shakuntala and Varsha.

The two women have stepped into the field to take up a range of issues, from land rights to alleged encroachment.

The organisational changes announced by the BJP on September 22 in the tribal dominated Narmada district (and in the adjoining Bharuch district) were to a large extent a response to the AAP's strong showing in the Narmada local body elections in April.

The AAP's campaign was powered by Chaitar Vasava, who repeatedly raised the issues of land acquisition, rehabilitation and employment that resonated strongly among tribal voters.

Chaitar was sent to jail in June after a sessions court in Narmada sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment in a 2023 case arising out of the alleged assault and intimidation of forest officials.

Although the sentence removed him from day-to-day political activity, his influence in the area remains largely undiminished, which his wives are currently seeking to amplify.

On Tuesday (September 22), Shakuntala and Varsha showed up at Kodvav village in the Netrang taluka of Bharuch to meet farmers who have alleged they have been assaulted by unidentified individuals, and had their land encroached upon following a dispute.

The women and other AAP leaders met with the aggrieved families, heard their accounts, and assured them of the party's support in pursuing the matter through legal and administrative channels.

Varsha Vasava said the AAP delegation had visited a family whose standing crop had been allegedly cut, and whose land was allegedly encroached upon. She said AAP would stand by the family through the legal battle and provide the required support.

"Whatever happens in this struggle in the coming days, we are with the families, and we are ready to stand with them and fight for their rights," Varsha said. She said the party would consult lawyers to decide the next course of action, and would submit a memorandum to the Prant Officer.

Varsha also appealed to members of the tribal community to participate in what she described as a "collective struggle" for tribal rights.

Chaitar has been in Vadodara Central Jail after an Additional Sessions Court in Rajpipla sentenced him and eight others to seven years in prison on June 23 this year.

According to the prosecution, five forest officials were summoned to Vasava's residence during an anti-encroachment drive in Narmada district, where they were allegedly abused and threatened, and a firearm was allegedly brought out and fired in the air.

The state also alleged that the officials were coerced into arranging Rs 60,000 in compensation for people whose crops had been removed during the forest department's encroachment-clearance exercise.

Vasava challenged the conviction and sought suspension of his sentence, but the Gujarat High Court rejected his plea in August. The court subsequently granted him seven days' temporary bail in September to attend the Assembly session.

Vasava's wife Shakuntala, who was also among the nine accused in the case, was released on bail after the Gujarat High Court suspended her sentence in July.

With both his wives now making their presence felt at programs and meeting aggrieved communities, the family has sought to maintain AAP's visibility in a region where Chaitar has built his political base around tribal rights and land-related issues.

But this is not the first time that Shakuntala and Varsha have filled in for Chaitar. During his post-arrest incarceration in 2024, followed by his conditional release preventing him from stepping foot in Dediapada, Shakuntala and Varsha had taken on the task of managing his maiden Lok Sabha campaign.

Chaitar was contesting as the India Bloc candidate from Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency, riding on his 2022 Gujarat Assembly victory - his first electoral contest - by a margin of more than 1 lakh votes.

At Kodvav village on Tuesday, the party also raised broader concerns over the role of Gram Panchayats in land transactions in tribal areas.

Raju Vasava, president of the AAP-led Valia taluka panchayat, said the party would consult lawyers on the issue before deciding its next course of action. He said the matter would subsequently be discussed with the affected people and a memorandum will be submitted to the Prant Officer.

"There is another important issue. It is the responsibility of the Gram Panchayat to issue an NOC. In Gujarat's tribal areas, Gram Panchayats are issuing NOCs for the purchase and sale of land to non-tribals," Raju said.

He alleged that tribal sarpanches were being used to facilitate such transactions and demanded strict action against those involved. He said AAP would remain vigilant against what it described as illegal encroachment and land transactions in tribal areas.

"The Aam Aadmi Party will now remain vigilant on this issue and take strong action against those involved. We assure you that we will never allow such activities to continue in tribal areas," he said.

The delegation included Narmada district panchayat irrigation committee chairman Dayaram Vasava, Valia taluka panchayat president Raju Vasava, Dediapada taluka panchayat president Premila Vasava, Narmada district AAP president Niranjan Vasava and other party functionaries.