Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Kaprada Jitu Chaudhary said, “Amresh Budher is our active party worker, and we spoke to him after we came to know about the incident. We strictly told him not to act so stupidly. Later, he agreed to our instructions and allowed villagers to get water.”Weeks after a father and son were arrested for cutting off the drinking water supply to a Bharuch village after the son lost an election, a similar case has surfaced in Valsad district. There, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker allegedly refused people access to a gram panchayat borewell, reportedly because the party lost one seat in the recent taluka panchayat elections.Residents of Tabadmal Faliya (Street) in Valsad’s Gadhvi village faced drinking water woes for at least two days after BJP worker Amresh Budher denied them access to the borewell, which was sunk by the state government on gram panchayat land, since the Congress won this particular seat in the Kaprada taluka panchayat elections that were held on April 26.The taluka panchayat in question has a total of 22 seats, out of which 18 were won by the BJP’s candidates and the remaining four by Congress’s.Gadhvi village sarpanch Bapu Kharprade, who is from the BJP, said, “Our village falls under the Suliya seat of the Kaprada taluka panchayat. In the recent election, Congress candidate Manisha Gond won the Suliya seat, beating my daughter-in-law, Yashi Mukesh Kharprade, who was the BJP candidate.”Kharpade added, “On Tuesday, I learnt about Amreshbhai Budher denying villagers water from the borewell, and I warned him. I was the sarpanch in 2012 when this borewell was sunk with state government funds. Amreshbhai is a hot-headed person. I and village talati (revenue official) Chetan Bhoye met him on Tuesday evening and threatened him with a police complaint, after which he apologised. Today, the people started getting water from the borewell.”According to Bharat Surum, a resident of Tabadmal Street, “Amresh had told us that the borewell was installed on his request, and that it was his right not to allow people to use water from it. He also told us that, in the recently concluded local body elections, the BJP got fewer votes from this street, so now nobody will be allowed to get water from the borewell, except his family members and relatives. Women of the village had to walk long distances in the hilly terrain to get drinking water. We had complained about the same to the local authorities, and today we started using the borewell.”According to sources, on Sunday, Budher allegedly told the residents that “35 families (around 200 people) who live on the street had not voted for the BJP in the election”. The village sarpanch was away with his family at the time, so no villager had dared to challenge him (Budher), said the sources.Story continues below this adOn Monday and Tuesday, the women of Tabadmal Faliya walked in groups for around 800 metres to get water in plastic bottles and buckets.Then, the locals submitted a representation to Kaprada taluka development officer Anand Patel, who directed the village talati to intervene in the matter.Talati Bhoye told The Indian Express: “The village’s population is around 700, and it is close to the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Amresh admitted his mistake and wrote an apology letter to us, which we have forwarded to our higher authorities. Since Wednesday afternoon, the villagers have been getting water from the borewell.”Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Kaprada Jitu Chaudhary said, “Amresh Budher is our active party worker, and we spoke to him after we came to know about the incident. We strictly told him not to act so stupidly. Later, he agreed to our instructions and allowed villagers to get water.”Budher could not be contacted for comment.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 LtdTags:Gujarat BJPSurat