Gujarat Election 2017: 10 key constituencies

The second phase polling in Gujarat election is an inch closer, and this time the Congress party is struggling to defeat the twenty-two years long regime of the Bharatiya Janata Party, in the state. Besides, the BJP is also not taking the poll lightly, after witnessing the outrage from its key vote banks like Patidars, farmers communities, businessmen and traders. 

In the political battle in 182 constituencies, there are 10 constituencies which have become unpredictable, yet interesting battle of the vote.

The fate of long-struggled, high volt campaign will be out on December 18 by 4.33 crore voters. 

Here is the list of 10 constituencies that hold the crucial contest: 

VADGAM:  It is one of the reserved constituencies of Gujarat election. Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani is contesting from Vadgam, as an independent candidate. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has extended his support for Mevani.  

Mevani has long campaigned for five acres of surplus land as promised in Gujarat Agricultural land ceiling Act, writes Livemint in its report. Mevani is contesting against BJP's Chakravarti Vijaykumar Harkhabhai. 
 

Vadgam constituency is located in Banaskantha district having 281 polling stations.

In 2012, Manilal Jethbhai Vaghela of BJP won this seat with 90375 votes.

Hindustan Times writes that  Vadgam seat has a Congress stronghold, as demographically out of nearly 2.60 lakh voters, 70,000 are Muslims while around 40,000 are Dalits followed by 30,000 odd Thakores and 5,000 Patidars among others.

MANINAGAR: This seat is a  BJP's bastion since 1990 and was also the constituency of Narendra Modi before he became the PM.  BJP MLA Sureshbhai Patel is contesting with Congress' young face Shweta Brahmbhatt, who is an investment banker.

The constituency houses the state headquarters of RSS. PM  Modi has won thrice from Maninagar, as CM, in the year 2002, 2007 and 2012.

Before Modi, BJP leader Kamlesh Patel represented the constituency from 1990 to 1998.

In 2012, Modi defeated congress's candidate Shweta Bhatt, the wife of former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt.

After Modi's resignation, in the by-election BJP Sureshbhai Patet. The constituency is urban constituency and have 175 polling station.

Rajkot (WEST):  It is not only the largest constituency in the Saurashtra region with over 3.15 lakh voters but also has a high concentration of businessmen, entrepreneurs, academicians and influencers who have traditionally been BJP supporters.

BJP's CM candidate Vijay Ruoani is contesting with Congress Indranil Rajaguru. Rajguru is the sitting MLA from Rajkot East. 

This seat is also BJP's bastion where the party is in power from 1985. Vajubhai Vala, the incumbent governor of Karnataka, had won the seat seven times for the BJP—from 1985 to 2012.  

MANDVI:  It is located in the Kutch constituency dominated by the Muslim population. There are 259 polling stations. Congress Shaktisinh Gohil, a Rajput will be contesting against Virendrasinh Jadeja from BJP.

Gohil is a sitting MLA from Abdasa seat of Kutch who won the Abdasa by-poll in 2014 with a thin margin of just over 750 votes.

As per Livemint report, The Mandvi seat, having a total voter base of 2.24 lakh, comprises two talukas of Kutch—Mandvi and Mundra. Sice the formation of Gujarat in 1960, the Congress party has won this seat four times while the BJP seven times.

Former BJP chief minister Suresh Mehta won five times from Mandvi,  starting from 1975 till 1998. But Congress snatched the seat in the year 2002, however in 2007 and 2012 the BJP regain this seat. 

SURAT (North): BJP candidate Kantibhai Himatbhai Ballar is contesting against  Kachhadiya Dineshbhai Manubhai of INC.

The BJP has been winning this seat since 1990. In India.com report, in 2012 BJP's Ajaykumar Jashvantlal Choksi defeated his Congress counterpart by over 20,000 votes.

KAMREJ:  This semi-urban constituency lies in Surat district and includes 72 villages. There are 417 polling stations in Kamrej, reports Times Now.

In 2012 assembly polls, BJP candidate Pansheriya Prafulbhai Chhaganbhai won the seat with 126032 votes.  

Zalavadiya Vinubhai Dahyabhai of BJP will be contesting against Ashokbhai Virajibhai Chodvadiya of Congress.

VARCCHA Road:  It is the home to one of the worlds largest diamond cutting-and-polishing hubs.

Times of India writes, the constituency was carved out of Surat city north and Surat City West, with over 1.98 lakh voters.

This year, it has two prominent Patidar leaders battling each other. Dhirubhai Gajera of the Congress and Kumar Kanani of the BJP. The two, who come from Amreli (Saurashtra), were once colleagues in the BJP. Gajera has the support of PAAS, on the other hand, Kanani is facing ire of the community.

PORBANDAR: According to  NDTV report, this constituency will witness the battle between the old age rivals, that is BJP's Babu Bokhiria and Congress' Arjun Modhwadia. Both the leaders have defeated each other once.

The voter-base of Porbandar constituency is the fishing community, Mer community, Brahmins, Lohans, and merchant caste.

Mer community strength is 70,000, fishing community voting population is 30,000, Brahmins 50,000 and Lohans 20,000.

Modhwadia had won on this seat in 2002, defeating the then two-times MLA Bokhiria, and went on to win again in 2007, before Bokhiria made a comeback in 2012.

RADHANPUR: OBC leader Alpesh Zala Thakur is contesting on Congress behalf from this seta.  The region makes two-thirds of the OBC population. The BJP has fielded Lavingji Thakor against Alpesh.

There are 2.59 lakh voters with 67 per cent voting population. 

DARIAPUR: Dariapur is situated in central Ahmedabad. Gyasuddin Habibuddin Shaikh is the sitting MLA of Congress who is contesting against BJP's Bharat Bahot.

Gyasuddin won the 2012 Assembly election defeating the BJP Bharat Barot by 2,621 votes.

Banot has won the constituency for five consecutive times from 1990 to 2007 from Dariapur seat.