Express News Service
AHMEDABAD: The battle for Saurashtra is getting tougher. The Morbi Bridge collapse on October 30 has disturbed the equations in BJP’s Saurashtra Mission. But the party wants towave the saffron flag on 48 seats of Saurashtra at any cost. Perhaps that is why after the Morbi tragedy, the BJP dropped the sitting MLA from Morbi, Brijesh Merja.
The party fielded Talala MLA Bhagwan Barad in Gir Somnath shortly after he resigned from the Congress. Gir Somnath is a constituency where the Congress party has a strong presence.
Bhagwan Barad is not the only Congress MLA from Saurashtra who deserted the party in the past five years. The Congress has lost 10 MLAs including Visavadar MLA Harshad Ribadia.
In the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections, 48 seats in Saurashtra zone will go to the polls on December 1.
Saurashtra is considered pivotal in Gujarat politics. The political parties had campaigned vigorously for the past two months. Due to the pro-BJP tilt of Patidar voters in Saurashtra, the BJP’s seats have steadily increased over the last two and a half decades. Still, amid the Patidar reservation movement, BJP suffered a loss in 2017 assembly. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given importance to Saurashtra in his Gujarat tour to regain the seats. The Congress undertook a tacit campaign in Saurashtra assembly segments during the last three months. The Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has held the most rallys in Saurashtra.
The results from Saurashtra between 2002 and 2012 shows BJP gaining strength , with Patidars showing a pro-BJP stance. But in 2017, BJP managed to retain power but suffered a massive loss in Saurashtra due to the Patidar reservation movement as well as farmers discontent in rural Saurashtra, where the Congress gained more ground. In three districts of Saurashtra, namely Amreli, Morbi, and Girsomanath, BJP lost all the seats, while in Junagadh, and Porbandar districts, BJP got one seat each.
According to 2017 results, out of a total of 48 seats in Saurashtra, 28 seats were won by Congress while BJP has to be content with 19 seats.
In a bid to regain lost ground, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallied in Saurashtra. He also launched several developments works in Jamnagar before the model code of conduct came into force.
It is apparently going to be tough for the Congress this time around particularly in the absence of several leaders who had deserted the party. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would also make its presence felt in this election.
There’s a saying that the to power in Gujarat passes through Saurashtra. The political parties, particularly the BJP has left no stone unturned to wrest as many seats as possible in the region.
In the 2017 election, out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.
The results: BJP won 1 seat while Congress 4 in Surendranagar. In Morbi, BJP won 3, while in Rajkot, BJP won 6 and the Congress 2. In Rajkot, BJP pocketed 6 seats while the Congress 2. In Jamnagar, BJP won in 2 and the Congress in 3 seats. In Dwarka, BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. In Porbandar, BJP won 1 while others won 1. In Junagadh, BJP could win only 1 seat while the Congress won 4. In Gir Somnath, Congress won all 4 seats. In Amreli, Congress won all 5 seats. In Bhavnagar BJP won 6 while the Congress had to be content with 1 seat. In Botad BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. Out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.
AHMEDABAD: The battle for Saurashtra is getting tougher. The Morbi Bridge collapse on October 30 has disturbed the equations in BJP’s Saurashtra Mission. But the party wants to
wave the saffron flag on 48 seats of Saurashtra at any cost. Perhaps that is why after the Morbi tragedy, the BJP dropped the sitting MLA from Morbi, Brijesh Merja.
The party fielded Talala MLA Bhagwan Barad in Gir Somnath shortly after he resigned from the Congress. Gir Somnath is a constituency where the Congress party has a strong presence.
Bhagwan Barad is not the only Congress MLA from Saurashtra who deserted the party in the past five years. The Congress has lost 10 MLAs including Visavadar MLA Harshad Ribadia.
In the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections, 48 seats in Saurashtra zone will go to the polls on December 1.
Saurashtra is considered pivotal in Gujarat politics. The political parties had campaigned vigorously for the past two months. Due to the pro-BJP tilt of Patidar voters in Saurashtra, the BJP’s seats have steadily increased over the last two and a half decades. Still, amid the Patidar reservation movement, BJP suffered a loss in 2017 assembly. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given importance to Saurashtra in his Gujarat tour to regain the seats. The Congress undertook a tacit campaign in Saurashtra assembly segments during the last three months. The Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has held the most rallys in Saurashtra.
The results from Saurashtra between 2002 and 2012 shows BJP gaining strength , with Patidars showing a pro-BJP stance. But in 2017, BJP managed to retain power but suffered a massive loss in Saurashtra due to the Patidar reservation movement as well as farmers discontent in rural Saurashtra, where the Congress gained more ground. In three districts of Saurashtra, namely Amreli, Morbi, and Girsomanath, BJP lost all the seats, while in Junagadh, and Porbandar districts, BJP got one seat each.
According to 2017 results, out of a total of 48 seats in Saurashtra, 28 seats were won by Congress while BJP has to be content with 19 seats.
In a bid to regain lost ground, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallied in Saurashtra. He also launched several developments works in Jamnagar before the model code of conduct came into force.
It is apparently going to be tough for the Congress this time around particularly in the absence of several leaders who had deserted the party. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would also make its presence felt in this election.
There’s a saying that the to power in Gujarat passes through Saurashtra. The political parties, particularly the BJP has left no stone unturned to wrest as many seats as possible in the region.
In the 2017 election, out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.
The results: BJP won 1 seat while Congress 4 in Surendranagar. In Morbi, BJP won 3, while in Rajkot, BJP won 6 and the Congress 2. In Rajkot, BJP pocketed 6 seats while the Congress 2. In Jamnagar, BJP won in 2 and the Congress in 3 seats. In Dwarka, BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. In Porbandar, BJP won 1 while others won 1. In Junagadh, BJP could win only 1 seat while the Congress won 4. In Gir Somnath, Congress won all 4 seats. In Amreli, Congress won all 5 seats. In Bhavnagar BJP won 6 while the Congress had to be content with 1 seat. In Botad BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. Out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.
