Geniben Thakor, Congress' Confidence In Gujarat's Banaskantha (image@GenibenThakor)

The Indian National Congress fielded Geniben Nagajibhai Thakor from Banaskantha Lok Sabha constituency. She entered into election arena in 2012 by contesting in Gujarat legislative assembly election from Vav constituency. Though she lost that election, she won the seat during the 2017 Gujarat legislative assembly election.

In 2017, she won against Shankar Chaudhary of Bharatiya Janata Party over a margin of 6655 votes and earned herself the name ‘giant slayer’. She retained the seat during the 2022 assembly election from the same constituency.

Thakor is known for her strong stance on liquor ban. However, last year she found herself in a troubling situation when her brother, Ramesh Nagaji, was caught in a drunken state with a quantity of liquor. Geniben Thakor stood firm on her stance on liquor sales and said that she would spare no one, even if it meant taking action against her own family members.

Ganiben Thakor was among the 16 of the 17 MLAs who were suspended from the Gujarat Assembly last year over protesting against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s suspension as an MP.

During the budget session of the Assembly last year, Thakor made a demand seeking an amendment to the Registration of Marriage Act, 2009, asking that signature of parents is mandatory in such cases. The demand also added that register marriage should be registered in the taluka where the man and woman live.

Talking to The Hindu, Thakor said love marriage without the consent of parents should be discouraged. She said, “we are not against ‘love’ marriages between a girl and a boy, but we are against the marriage where the consent of the parents has not been obtained”.