The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) election, scheduled for July 4, is likely to be called off, as candidates in all but one category have been elected unopposed.
The only contest remains in the Business Association (Local) category, where three candidates are vying for two seats. In all other categories, candidates withdrew their nominations before the June 21 deadline, finalising the selections without a vote.
According to media report, “There are two seats in the Business Association (Local) category. Ashwinkumar Patel of Ahmedabad Engineering Manufacturing Association, Ajit Shah of Sanand Industries Association, and Meghraj Dodwani of Relief Road Electronics Association have submitted nominations.”
Also added,”Since no withdrawals have been made in this category, an election may be held-unless one of the candidates pulls out before the June 24 deadline. We are exploring an amicable resolution.”
Meghraj Dodwani said, “I’ve filed my nomination to ensure better representation for smaller traders.”
As a result of uncontested selections and constitutional provisions, Sandeep Engineer, Rajesh Gandhi and Apurva Shah will continue as President, Senior Vice President and Vice President, respectively, for 2025-26.
Corporate and Member Categories Finalised
In the Corporate category, three candidates—Trilok Parikh (Gulmohar Greens Golf and Country Club), Jigish Doshi (Vishakha Polyfab Ltd), and Paras Desai (Gujarat Tea Processors and Packers Ltd)—have been selected unopposed.
Prashant Patel of Saykha Industries Association has been chosen for the single seat in the Business Association (Outstation) category.
For the Life/Patron Member (Local) category, which has two seats, Nilesh Desai and Jayanti Sanghvi (both from Ratnamani Metals and Tubes Ltd) have been elected unopposed. Nilesh Shukla has secured the lone seat in the Life/Patron Member (Outstation) category.
General Category Sees One Roadblock
Out of eight seats in the General category, seven have been confirmed. The nomination form of Navroz Tarapore, promoter of Atmos Power Pvt Ltd, was rejected reportedly due to technical discrepancies.
A senior source commented, “Tarapore has contributed to several executive and other committees at GCCI. We’ll look into the matter after the election process concludes.”
The seven candidates confirmed for the General category are:
- Sandip Shah
- Jigish Shah
- Meena Kaviya
- Sachin Patel
- Jainik Vakil
- Bhavesh Lakhani
- Manish Kiri
In the General (Outstation) category, three out of four seats have been filled, leaving one vacant. Kavita Modi has been elected unopposed for the General (Women) category.
AGM Set for July 5
The GCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is scheduled for July 5, a day after the planned election date. While most positions are for the 2025–27 term, a few are annual posts for 2025–26. Key decisions are expected at the AGM, according to sources.