The Conservative Party has selected two young Gujarati hopefuls for next month's General Election - Ameet Jogia, standing in Brent North and Resham Kotecha in Coventry North West. Both are viewed as rising stars with promising futures. If elected, they would join Priti Patel and Shailesh Vara, doubling the number of Gujarati MPs in the House of Commons.
Ameet Jogia, aged 30, was born and raised in Harrow. He has served as a local Councillor since 2014 becoming the youngest Councillor in Harrow with a proven track record of delivering for local residents. Having grown up in and around Brent, Ameet has first-hand knowledge of local issues, with experience of working with all communities.
Having been homeless at a young age, Ameet grew up on a council estate. Ever since, he has striven to get a good education and been committed to giving back to society in whatever way he can, including serving as a School Governor and as a volunteer at his local Hospice in Brent. Ameet also has significant experience at Westminster, having worked as Parliamentary Assistant to Lord Dolar Popat.
Resham Kotecha, aged 28, was born in London, to Gujarati parents who came to the UK to study from East Africa. One of twin sisters, she read Economics at Cambridge University before starting work as a strategy consultant advising both public and private sector organisations.
Resham previously stood as a Parliamentary Candidate during the 2015 General Election in Dulwich and West Norwood. She is Deputy Chair of the Northwood Conservatives and Head of Engagement for Women2Win, an organisation co-founded by Prime Minister Theresa May, to encourage more Conservative women to enter Parliament.
Resham has spoken and written regularly in the media about the importance of getting more Asians, young people, and women involved in politics. She is President of the under 35’s board of the Young Women’s India Association, the oldest Asian charity in UK, and was a finalist for the Asian Women of Achievement Awards.
Resham and Ameet are seeking to unseat two longstanding incumbents. Geoffrey Robinson, aged 78, has held Coventry North West since 1976 and was widely expected to stand down in 2020. In Brent North, Barry Gardiner won his seat from veteran Tory MP Sir Rhodes Boyson in 1997 as part of Tony Blair's landslide election victory. With their opponents having represented their constituencies for several decades, Resham and Ameet are hoping to tap into a mood for generational change and a fresh approach, as Britain faces a historic crossroads with its negotiated exit from the European Union.
The two Gujarati hopefuls joined Priti Patel and Shailesh Vara at the UK-India Awards last week. Speaking afterwards, Priti Patel, Secretary of State for International Development said: "Resham and Ameet are both young and dynamic candidates who represent the very best of British and Indian values: hard work, enterprise, responsibility, and the importance of education, family, faith and community."
Shailesh Vara, former Justice Minister and Chairman of Conservative Friends of India, added: "Resham and Ameet will make excellent local Members of Parliament - representing all their diverse constituents - and also provide a strong voice in Westminster under the leadership of Theresa May."
