Gujarat Phase 1 Voting: Here’s a look at key players, constituencies

According to the Election Commission of India, polling will begin at 8 am and end at 5 pm. A total of 39 political parties are contesting the election and they have fielded 788 candidates including 718 male candidates and 70 female candidates.

A total of 788 candidates are in the fray in the first phase of elections for 89 seats spread over 19 districts of South Gujarat and Kutch-Saurashtra regions.

Political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, are in a race to make election promises.

Read also: Gujarat elections: Criminal cases on around 20% of total candidates, AAP tops

For the last 27 years the BJP Took over the reins of power in Gujarat. The Congress is desperate to save its second spot in the state, while Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP is trying to capitalize on ‘anti-incumbency’ and issues like inflation and unemployment to come to power.

In form of BJP Wanting to retain power and AAP aiming to make inroads in another state, a fierce battle is expected in various seats that will go to polls on Thursday morning.

Jamnagar North (Jamnagar)

First on the list is Jamnagar North, where the contest is between BJP’s Rivaba Jadeja, wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, Congress’s Bipendrasinh Jadeja and AAP’s Karsan Karmur. The BJP removed sitting MLA Dharmendrasinh Merubha, who won the seat by defeating Congress candidate Ahir Jeevanbhai Karubhai. Kumbharwadiya in the 2017 assembly elections. The seat came into limelight after a political tussle came to the fore between two members of the same family, with Rivaba, who is making her electoral debut, contesting from the BJP and her sister-in-law, and her father-in-law campaigning for a Congress candidate .

Read also: ‘ILU-ILU’ in Gujarat polls: AAP mocks Congress-BJP’s ‘understanding’

morbi

Morbi is at the second place in the list, which recently became the talk of the town after a tragic incident in which a suspension bridge collapsed into the river, claiming over 130 lives. The BJP has fielded Kantilal Amritiya, who replaced sitting MLA and cabinet minister Brijesh Merja, and he is up against Jayantilal Jerjbhai Patel of the Congress and Pankaj Ranasaria of the AAP.

Opposition parties raised the issue of “mismanagement” in the Morbi incident during the campaign, trying to corner the government over the incident. However, historically, the BJP had won the Morbi assembly seat in 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2012, before losing it to Amritiya Merja, who was in the Congress, in 2017. Merja later joined the BJP and again won the bypolls from Morbi. In 2022, BJP has a tie with Amritiya.

Khambalia (Devbhoomi Dwarka)

The seat assumes significance as AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi is contesting from the seat where he is pitted against BJP’s Mulu Iyer Bera and Congress’s Vikram Madam. The fight is expected to be triangular as there is a close contest between BJP and AAP. The Congress is said to be strong as the party’s candidate Ahir Vikrambhai Arjanbhai Madam won the seat in 2017. Congress has changed its candidate in 2022 election.

Rajkot West (Rajkot)

Rajkot West is the seat from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi contested the 2002 bypoll. Former chief minister Vijay Rupani also contested from this seat in the 2017 assembly elections. The BJP has fielded two-time deputy mayor Darshita Shah, who is up against AAP’s Dinesh Joshi and Congress’s Mansukhbhai.

The seat is considered a BJP stronghold, which the party has not lost since 1985.

Rupani had won the seat in the 2017 assembly elections by defeating Indranil Rajguru of INC by a margin of 53,755 votes. Devbhoomi Dwarka Pabubha Manek, the BJP candidate who has not lost a single election in the last 32 years, is up against Congress’s Malubhai Kandoria and AAP candidate Nakum Lakhmanbhai Boghabhai.

Manek won the first three elections as an independent (1990, 95, 98), then joined the Congress and won the seat in 2002. Later, he won the 2007, 2012 and 2017 assembly elections on a BJP ticket.

In the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections, Manek won the seat by defeating Ahir Meraman Markhi of INC by a margin of 5,739 votes.

See also: Gujarat Assembly Election 2022 Live Updates

Talala (Gir Somnath)

BJP has fielded Bhagwan Brar from this seat, who is contesting against Devendra Solanki of AAP and Mansingh Dodiya of Congress. Barad had won this seat in the 2017 assembly elections. He had resigned as Congress MLA from Talala Gir Somnath district and joined BJP, after which he was given ticket from the same seat. Brar is an influential leader of the Ahir community. He won from Talala constituency in 2007 and 2017.

Katargam (Surat)

The seat is set to witness an interesting fight this time with AAP fielding its state president Gopal Italia, who is considered an influential Patidar leader. He played an important role in the Patidar reservation movement in 2015.

He will be pitted against Prajapati community (OBC) candidate Kaplesh Waria of Congress and BJP candidate Vinodbhai Amrishbhai Moradiya.

Porbandar

A tough fight is expected in the Porbandar seat from where the BJP has once again fielded its sitting MLA and four-time winner Babu Bokhiria. He is pitted against Congress candidate Arjun Modhwadia and AAP’s Jeevan Jungi. Bokhiria won the seat in 1995, 1998, 2012 and 2017. In 2002 and 2007, Bokhiria was defeated by his arch rival and former Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia. Both are face to face this time also.

Kutiana (Porbandar)

Kandhalbhai Jadeja, son of late don Santokben Sarmanbhai Jadeja, is contesting on a Samajwadi Party ticket. He had won the 2017 assembly election on an NCP ticket, though he recently quit the party after being denied the ticket. He is pitted against BJP’s Dheliben Odedra, AAP’s Bhimabhai Makwana and Congress’ Nathabhai Odedra. Voting in Gujarat will be held on December 1 and 5 and the counting of votes will take place on December 8.

(With inputs from ANI)