Former Gujarat minister Mohansinh Rathva dies; PM, CM hail his contributions to tribal community

3 min readAhmedabadJul 5, 2026 06:50 PM IST

A former Congress leader who joined the BJP in the run up to the 2022 Assembly elections, Mohansinh Rathva is survived by three sons. (Facebook/ Mohansinh Rathva)

Mohansinh Rathva, a former minister who got elected to the Gujarat Assembly for a record 10 times, died in Chhota Udepur district on Sunday. He was 82.

A former Congress leader who joined the BJP in the run up to the 2022 Assembly elections, Mohansinh Rathva is survived by three sons.

His son Rajendrasinh Rathva, the BJP MLA from Chhota Udepur constituency, confirmed the death of his father due to old age.

Considered among the senior most tribal leaders of Gujarat, Mohansinh was first elected to Gujarat Assembly in 1972. He went on to win every election after that until 2017. The Assembly elections of 2002 was the sole exception when Mohansinh lost to BJP’s Vechat Baria by a margin of nearly 15,500 votes.

In his long career as member of Gujarat Assembly, Mohansinh also held the post of a minister twice. He was also the leader of opposition in the Gujarat Assembly once.

Mohansinh had been associated with the Congress for a long time. For a short span of time, he was also associated with the Janata Party and Janata Dal. He was elected as an MLA on the Janata Party ticket twice — in 1980 and 1985.

In the run up to the 2022 Assembly elections, Mohansinh had joined the BJP along with his son Rajendrasinh and other supporters. He had taken political retirement after that.

Story continues below this ad

In the same elections, Rajendrasinh successfully contested on a BJP ticket from Chhota Udepur, the constituency represented by his father in 2012 and 2017.

Mohansinh was considered as one of the most disciplined MLAs of Gujarat Assembly, and the Speaker of the Assembly commended his discipline on many occasions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, among others, mourned the demise of the veteran leader. In an X post, PM Modi hailed his contributions to the development of the tribal community in the state.

“…I had the opportunity to work with him for years in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. His dedication and contributions to the all-round development of the tribal community, public service, and the welfare of the people will always be remembered…,” the PM wrote on X.

Story continues below this ad

“His tireless efforts for the upliftment of the tribal community, as well as his invaluable contribution to raising public awareness for environmental conservation, will always be remembered. May God grant peace to his soul and give strength to his family and supporters to bear this sorrow…,” CM Patel said in an X post.