Bhupendra Patel, Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and more… The big names in Phase 2 of Gujarat polls

After the high-voltage campaigning, the people of Gujarat will seal the fate of 833 candidates contesting from 93 different seats across the central and northern districts of the state. This is the second phase of polling for Gujarat following which results will be announced on 8 December.

Some 2.51 crore people can cast their vote today — in the second phase. Of these, 5.96 lakh voters are in the age of the group of 18-19 years, according to the Election Commission.

Also read: Gujarat Assembly elections: Polling in 93 seats today; PM Modi, Amit Shah to cast votes in Ahmedabad

Today’s polling is spread across Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Patan, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Aravali, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Dahod, Vadodara, Anand, Kheda and Chhota Udaipur districts and will see heavyweight voters, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Other celebrity voters will be Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel, Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi, Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor and cricketers Irfan Pathan, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya.

The second phase of polling will seal the fate of heavyweight leaders such as Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani.

Here’s a better look at the big leaders who are in the fray in the second phase of polling.

Bhupendra Patel

Chief Minister and BJP strongman Bhupendra Patel will be testing his electoral future from Ghatlodia, the urban constituency in Ahmedabad city. Patel will be going up against Congress’ Amee Yagnik and AAP’s Vijay Patel.

In 2017, Bhupendra Patel won with a record margin of 1.17 lakh votes against Congress candidate Shashikant Bhurabhai despite the Hardik Patel-led Patidar quota agitation in 2015.

The constituency is known to be a saffron stronghold and has also given the state two chief ministers — sitting Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Anandiben Patel.

Hardik Patel

After quitting the Congress in the most explosive manner, BJP’s Hardik Patel — who skyrocketed to fame during the Patidar agitation — will be testing his electoral popularity from Viramgam.

Viramgam, a part of the Ahmedabad district, has been predominantly a Congress seat with the party bagging it in 1998, 2012 and 2017. The BJP has been able to win this seat only twice — 2002 and 2007.

Also read: Why just double engine, Gujarat needs BJP’s ‘Triple-Engine Sarkar’, says Hardik Patel

Patel will be contesting the polls against Congress’ Lakhabhai Bharwad and AAP’s Kuvarji Thakor. It won’t be easy pickings for Patel as he’s going up against Bharwad, who had won the seat in 2017 by 6,548 votes and a 41.25 per cent vote share.

Alpesh Thakor

Congress-turned-BJP leader Alpesh Thakor will be contesting the elections from Gandhinagar South. A prominent OBC leader in Gujarat, Thakor is facing a multi-pronged contest from Congress candidate Dr Himanshu V Patel, AAP’s Dolat Patel as well as independent candidates.

Currently a BJP seat — it is held by BJP’s Shambhuji Chelaji Thakor — the constituency has a majority population hailing from the Thakor community.

Also read: Gujarat Assembly polls 2022: Elections of the future

Jignesh Mevani

The Dalit leader is contesting as the Congress candidate from Vadgam seat in Banaskantha district. The 42-firebrand leader is hoping for a repeat of the 2017 elections, which he won as an Independent candidate after the Congress and the AAP did not put up a candidate and the Congress changed the seat of its sitting lawmaker, Manibhai Vaghela, to neighbouring Idar.

Incidentally, he’s going up against Vaghela, who had lost in the previous election and then jumped to the BJP in 2021.

Rajendrasinh Rathwa

In Chota Udaipur, a tribal-dominated constituency, it’s going to be a Rathwa vs Rathwa rivalry. The BJP has fielded Rajendrasinh Rathwa, the son of 10-time legislator Mohansinh Rathwa, who has represented the seat since 2012.

On the other hand, the Congress has given the ticket to Sangramisinh Rathwa, the son of party MP Naranbhai Rathwa.

Amulbhai Bhatt

The BJP has fielded Amulbhai Bhatt from the Maninagar seat, which is considered as a very important seat for the saffron party. Narendra Modi won three consecutive times from here when he was the chief minister of the state. The BJP has continued its dominance at the Maninagar Assembly seat for the last 28 years.

The BJP is hoping to achieve seventh heaven in Gujarat while the AAP is hoping to make inroads in the western state and replicate their Punjab success here. To ensure victory, the BJP left no stone unturned, Prime Minister Modi conducted a whirlwind campaign, including the longest roadshow by an Indian leader. Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath held rallies in Dholka, Mahudha and Khambhat towns, while Union minister Smriti Irani held roadshows in Modasa and Siddhpur towns of north Gujarat.

With inputs from agencies

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