Speaking in English and Gujarati, Congress candidate Kruti Raval from Ward no. 3 of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) makes a poll pitch in her campaign for the Sunday election: “Do not forget what we suffered during the Vishwamitri floods, repeatedly… I am a victim of the floods like you… and a taxpayer. When we speak in one voice from our common experience, we will be able to bring about a change…”

The flier she carries has a picture of the floods and is captioned: “Do not forget the flood and the Harni Boat Tragedy”. Raval, 39, has a master’s degree in political science and is a former teacher.

As she speaks, she reminds the voters of the two tragedies that hit the city in 2024: a boat capsize that killed 12 children and two of their teachers who were out on a school picnic, and the August 24 floods that submerged the city for nearly three days.…