Vadodara: The political atmosphere has heated up ahead of the Manjalpur assembly by-election in Vadodara. Senior BJP leader and former mayor Nilesh Rathore has filed a criminal defamation suit in court against persons including Alpesh Limbachia for allegedly defaming him and his family. This incident has created an uproar in the internal politics of the BJP.

Nilesh Rathore has initiated this legal action against BJP leader and former ruling party leader Alpesh Limbachia, his brother-in-law Amit Limbachia and Akash Nai.

They allege that all these persons have worked together to tarnish the image of Nilesh Rathore and his brothers by spreading baseless and insulting material against them through social media and pamphlets.

Nilesh Rathore said, “This is not just a personal dispute, but an attack on my hard-earned reputation in public life, which I am fighting through legal channels.”

After the police complaint, now the fight in the court

Advocate Amish Dadawala, the lawyer of the complainant, said that earlier a police complaint was filed in this matter, but due to not including the appropriate clauses at that time, now a claim of criminal defamation has been filed directly in the court.

The action has been taken under the Indian Penal Code (BNS). Apart from this, the lawyer has also warned that a civil suit seeking compensation for defamation will also be filed in the near future.

The possibility of impact on political equations

The political significance of the entire controversy has increased as both Nilesh Rathore and Alpesh Limbachia are seen as strong BJP contenders in the Manjalpur by-election. The legal battle is seen by political analysts as a power struggle and internal factionalism. With the elections around the corner, this controversy in the maths of getting the nomination could have a major impact on the BJP’s internal equations. As of now, there is no official reaction from the party in this matter, but the case has become the main focus of discussion in the political circles of Vadodara.