After voting in the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections 2022 on December 1, the stage is set for a fierce contest with the ruling BJP in the second phase on December 5. The main contenders in phase 2 of the Gujarat elections appear to be the BJP and Congress even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is trying to make a mark in the western state.
Elections will be conducted in 93 constituencies in the second and final round of polling in the state. As many as 833 candidates will contest elections in Phase 2, including Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Patidar leader Hardik Patel of the BJP.
Here’s a look at some of the key constituencies that will go to polls in the second phase
Ghatlodia
Ghatlodia constituency came into existence after being carved out from the Sarkhej Assembly constituency after the delimitation. The constituency has around 3,74,000 voters, of which Patels and Rabaris are the majority population. It also has a majority of Patidar voters. A stronghold of the saffron party, this constituency in Ahmedabad has produced two BJP chief ministers —incumbent Bhupendra Patel and Anandiben Patel.
In 2012, BJP’s Anandiben Patel defeated Congress candidate Rameshbhai Patel by more than 1,10,000 votes. In 2017, Bhupendra Patel won with a record margin of 1.17 lakh votes against Congress candidate Shashikant Bhurabhai despite the 2015 Hardik Patel-led Patidar quota agitation. This year, Bhupendra Patel is up against Congress Rajya Sabha MP Amee Yagnik.
Maninagar
Owing to the high concentration of urban Hindu voters, Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad has been a bastion of the BJP since the 1990s. Prime Minister Narendra Modi contested and won the elections from Maninagar constituency in 2002, 2007, and 2014. In 2017, BJP's Suresh Patel defeated Congress's Shweta Brahmbhatt by 75,199 votes here. In the 2022 Gujarat elections, BJP has fielded Amulbhai Bhatt, who will contest against Congress candidate CM Rajput and the AAP’s Vipulbhai Patel. Maninagar has 2,76,935 registered voters, as per the voter list for 2022.
Godhra
The Godhra Assembly constituency has around 2,79,000 voters and 72,000 of them are Muslims. It has been a tough battleground for the Congress and BJP with former Congress leader CK Raulji winning the seat in 2007 and 2012. He won again in 2017 on a BJP ticket by defeating Congress candidate Parmar Rajendrasinh Balvantsinh. Recently, Godhra witnessed the rise of All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which won seven seats in the Municipal Council polls in 2021. This year, the constituency has four key candidates – Congress’s Smitaben Dushyantsinh Chauhan, AAP’s Rajesh Patel Raju, BJP’s CK Raulji and AIMIM’s Mufti Hasan Kachaba.
Viramgam
AAP’s entry in this constituency will make it more challenging for both BJP and Congress. The BJP has fielded 29-year-old firebrand leader Hardik Patel, who walked out of the Congress earlier this year despite being the state working president of the grand old party. The AAP has fielded Kuvarji Thakore, while the Congress has retained MLA Lakhabhai Bharwad as the candidate this year.
In 2017, Bharwad defeated BJP’s Tejashree Patel by more than 75,000 votes. Between 2012 and 2017, Tejashree served as a Congress MLA but joined the BJP before the 2017 elections.
Mahesana
Despite former Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel not contesting this election, he figures prominently in the campaign in Mehsana constituency. This year, BJP has fielded Mehsana city unit president Mukesh Patel, a protege of Nitin Patel, as its candidate. The Congress will have PK Patel contest from this constituency. Congress claimed that BJP dropped its senior leader from the contest as it was "afraid" to lose.
"People should see how the BJP treats its senior leaders," PTI quoted PK Patel as saying.
Gandhinagar North
Gandhinagar North constituency came into existence in 2008. Most of the residents of the constituency are state government employees. However, it has been a tough battleground for the two major parties with BJP's Ashok Patel winning in 2012 with a thin margin of over 4,000 votes and Congress leader C J Chavda defeating Patel in 2017 with nearly 4,700 votes.
