In a riveting turn of events, the BJP has secured victory in 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat. Surprisingly, this time around, they missed the chance for a clean sweep, a feat achieved in the previous two general elections, as the Congress managed to clinch the Banaskantha constituency. This victory marks the Congress’s first win in the past decade in the western state.
Historically, the saffron party had swept all 26 seats in both the 2014 and 2019 general elections, dominating its home turf, which boasts Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah among its prominent leaders. However, the recent declaration by the Election Commission of India revealed a slight shift, with the Bharatiya Janata Party securing 24 Lok Sabha seats while the Congress emerged victorious in one constituency.
Among the notable winners from Gujarat are Amit Shah, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, and Cabinet colleagues Parshottam Rupala and Devusinh Chauhan. Impressively, the BJP clinched eight seats with a staggering margin of over 3 lakh votes and secured four others, including Gandhinagar, Navsari, Panchmahal, and Vadodara, with a margin exceeding 5 lakh votes.
Despite the BJP’s formidable presence, two AAP candidates, running under the INDI alliance, faced defeat at the hands of the BJP in Bharuch and Bhavnagar. Notably, the elections witnessed a unique scenario in Surat, where the BJP secured victory unopposed due to the rejection of the Congress candidate’s nomination owing to irregularities in signatures, leading to the withdrawal of all other contestants.
Amit Shah emerged triumphant with an impressive margin of 7,44,716 votes, garnering 10,10,972 votes, crushing his closest competitor from the Congress, Sonal Patel, who managed to secure only 2,66,256 votes. Mansukh Mandaviya secured the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat with a comfortable margin of 3.83 lakh votes, defeating his nearest Congress rival Lalit Vasoya, who garnered 2,49,758 votes.
Despite facing backlash from the Rajput community over his pre-election remarks, Parshottam Rupala secured victory from the Rajkot constituency with a significant margin of 4,84,260 votes, defeating senior Congress leader Paresh Dhanani, who managed to secure 3,73,724 votes.
Adding to the BJP’s triumph, Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil secured victory in the Navsari constituency with a staggering margin of 7.73 lakh votes, marking the highest victory margin in Gujarat this election cycle, and handing a resounding defeat to his closest Congress rival Naishadh Desai.
With this victory, CR Paatil secures his fourth consecutive term in the Lok Sabha. Additionally, Union Minister Devusinh Chauhan secured victory with a margin of 3,57,758 votes, defeating Kalusinh Dabhi of Congress, who garnered 3,86,677 votes.
In the Bharuch constituency, previously held by Congress veteran Ahmed Patel, BJP’s sitting MP Mansukh Vasava defeated Aam Aadmi Party’s Chaitar Vasava by a margin of 85,696 votes. However, the shining moment for the Congress amidst the BJP’s dominance was the victory in the Banaskantha constituency, breaking a decade-long streak of BJP wins.
Geniben Thakor emerged victorious, securing victory by more than 30,000 votes against BJP’s Rekha Chaudhari. Thakor garnered 6,71,883 votes against her rival’s 6,41,477. This victory holds significant historical relevance as the BJP had consistently won the Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat in the past, except for Congress’s wins in 2004 and 2009.
Reflecting on the results, CR Paatil expressed humility, acknowledging the need for introspection to understand the reasons behind the defeat in Banaskantha. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the commitment to address any shortcomings and continue the path of development under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and CR Paatil.
Shaktisinh Gohil, Gujarat Congress president, attributed the victory in Banaskantha to the unwavering support of the people, despite facing financial challenges due to frozen bank accounts. He thanked the Gujarati voters for their overwhelming support, highlighting the resilience of democracy against attempts to undermine it.
