2 min readApr 12, 2026 10:23 AM ISTBharatiya Janata Party (BJP)In another last-minute change, this time in Rajkot, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday replaced a candidate whose name was announced the previous night in the party’s candidate list for the local municipal corporation elections.Finally, it was the sitting corporator (Ward No. 7), Nehal Shukla, who filed his nomination for the same ward, replacing Shailesh Jani, whose name, along with 71 others, was announced for the Rajkot civic body late Friday night.On Saturday, Jani and his supporters arrived at the Rajkot district collector’s office to file his nomination, wearing the saffron scarf, awaiting his turn to file his papers, when he got a call from the party headquarters informing that it would be Shukla who would be the candidate.Sources said Jani tried to leave the spot but was told to wait a while. On Saturday afternoon, Shukla reached the district collector’s office and filed his nomination form as a BJP candidate for Ward no. 7. Later, acting on instructions from the party higher-ups, Jani filed a form as a dummy candidate for the same ward.Shukla told The Indian Express, “I am the sitting corporator from the same ward. I had submitted a form with the party election observers, showing interest in contesting the election from the Ward no. 7. The party state leadership released the BJP candidate list on Friday night, in which my name was not there; instead, there was Shailesh Jani’s name.”He added, “Jani and I have been friends for the past 30 years. I never objected to his name. At the last moment, the party decided to replace me with him. The reason for putting me in the same ward may be that the party may have worked out some political equation, or they did not want to lose a winning seat. I met Shailesh Jani at the collector’s office today, and he held no grudges against me; we hugged each other. Our friendship will remain forever. He also assured me to work for my victory in the same ward.”Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs. Expertise Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs. Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including: Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives. Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress. Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli). Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Live BlogResults.cgg.gov.in, TGBIE Telangana TS Inter Results 2026 LIVE Updates: 1st, 2nd year results at tgbie.cgg.gov.in after press conference3 minutes agoIran-US Ceasefire Talks in Islamabad Live Updates: Iran says US ‘looking for excuse’ to quit talks; Vance says Tehran rejected offer3 minutes agoAssembly Elections 2026 Live Updates: ‘Won’t let Bengalis become minority’, Modi vows UCC in Bengal; targets TMC’s ‘Mahajungleraj’3 minutes agoTelangana TS Inter Results 2026, Tgbie.cgg.gov.in Live Updates: Websites to download TGBIE IPE 1st 2nd Year marks memo?3 minutes agoTgbie.cgg.gov.in, TS Inter 1st 2nd Year Results 2026 LIVE Updates: What time will TGBIE announce IPE results?5 minutes ago