Gujarat Elections 2017 | How BJP made inroads into Central Gujarat voters
Central Gujarat, once a Congress’ fort, is slipping from its hands gradually. The lower voting in Saurashtra has worried the ruling party and it now plans to compensate a part of its loss from central region of the state.
It is dominated by the Patel and Thakor (OBC) communities and both are going edge to edge having socio political importance in this region considering Kheda, Anand and some part of Vadodara districts, whereas tribal communities are big in number in Dahod, Panchmahals and Chhota Udepur districts.
In 2007 Assembly polls, the region excluding Vadodara city’s three seats had 41 seats of which Congress got 22 seats and alliance party NCP got two seats, while BJP got 16 seats and one went to independent candidate.
After new delimitation, 35 seats excluding Vadodara’s five urban seats were formed and first polls were held in 2012. BJP won 16 seats and an independent came in support to the party, while Congress and NCP alliance got 18 seats with Congress’s 17 seats. This indicates that BJP gained in this region.
Looking at caste equations, 10 seats in central Gujarat are reserved for ST candidate and tribal voters have remained Congress supporters as seven candidates of party won here …read more
