Lok Sabha elections 2024: Gandhinagar to Surat, key seats in Gujarat

Of the 26 seats in Gujarat, two are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates and four for Scheduled Tribes (ST). In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is eyeing another clean sweep in the state, while Congress and Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are part of the Opposition's INDIA bloc.

Here's a look at the Lok Sabha seats to watch out for in Gujarat:

Gandhinagar

A BJP bastion, this urban seat sent stalwarts like former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani to Parliament. In the 2019 polls, Amit Shah contested from here and defeated the rival Congress candidate, CJ Chavda, by over 5.57 lakh votes.

Rajkot

The BJP has secured consistent wins from this seat since 1989, except for the 2009 polls when Congress’ Kunvarji Bavalia defeated BJP's Kirankumar Patel. In the last two general elections, this seat was represented by BJP's Mohan Kundariya in Parliament. However, this time, the party has fielded Union Minister Parshottam Rupala from this constituency.

Porbandar

Yet another BJP stronghold, this seat has a large number of Leuva Patidars, a sub-caste of the electorally and numerically strong Patel community. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, a Leuva Patidar, will be representing the BJP from this seat in the 2024 polls. He hails from Gujarat's Bhavnagar district and has so far reached the Parliament through the Rajya Sabha route.

Surat

Surat, the world’s diamond polishing hub, has embraced the BJP since 1989. In the last three general elections, Union Minister Darshana Jardosh has been elected from this seat, having won in 2014 and 2019 by a margin of over 5 lakh votes. The seat earlier sent former Prime Minister Morarji Desai and veteran BJP leader Kashiram Rana to the Lok Sabha. Desai, the first non-Congress PM of India, won from this seat five times, including in the post-Emergency polls of 1977.

Bharuch

BJP leader Mansukh Vasava has been winning from this seat since 1999. Before him, Chandubhai Deshmukh represented the party from here for a long time. Last time, Vasava won by a margin of 3.3 lakh votes, defeating Congress candidate Sherkhan Pathan.

In the 2024 elections, this predominantly tribal seat will see Mansukh Vasava contesting against AAP's Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava. The Bharuch parliamentary constituency has also been represented by Congress leader, late Ahmed Patel in the past.

Vadodara

Vadodara was represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. However, later in the by-elections, BJP's Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt won from this seat. In the last general elections, she won by over 5.89 lakh votes. The constituency has been a BJP stronghold since 1998.