After winning Vav assembly constituency twice and getting elected to Lok Sabha constituency from Banaskantha seat, Congress MP Geniben Thakor suffered a big setback on Saturday, as her party lost the by-election, and her image got dented. To win one assembly seat, the BJP had deputed four MPs, an assembly speaker, Banas Dairy Chairman Shankar Chaudhary, and a senior minister, along with an army of party workers and a leader. The party's candidate, Swaroopji Thakor, was able to save the party face with a thin margin of 2353 votes.&nbsp; The Thakor dominant seat was do or die for both parties, as both parties stalwart image was at stake. The Congress party had fielded Gulabsinh Rajput; against him was the BJP's Swaroopji Thakor. IT should have been a straight fight between the BJP and Congress had there not been BJP rebellion Mavjibhai Patel in the fray. It was a very close contest. Gulabsinh lost the election in the last two rounds. He was leading the contest with a 14,000 margin, which the BJP candidate covered in the 22nd and 23rd rounds, and won the election with a 2300 vote margin. On one hand, Congress MP Banaskantha Geniben Thakor's political image was on the test because Vav is her constituency, from which she has gotten elected twice; she vacated the seat after getting elected to the Lok Sabha. Rajput's defeat is a big jolt to her political career, as Rajput's margin was washed out in the Bhaabhar area, which is the native village of Geniben.&nbsp; Sources from the party said Geniben underestimated the BJP's last days strategy, where Geniben's archrival and Gujarat Assembly speaker Shankar Chaudhary and Thakor community leader Alpesh Thakor worked day and night to woo Thakor votes from the Bhaabhar area, and it paid to the BJP. Normally, the Chief Minister doesn't campaign in the by-elections; its left to the state leaders, senior ministers, and party organizations. But Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel himself had addressed three public meetings in one assembly constituency. Patel did not take by-elections lightly.&nbsp; Shankar Chaudhary, who had suffered a setback in the Lok Sabha because the party lost the Lok Sabha, will now rejoice and bounce back into active politics. Vav seat was a hope for the Congress to increase its tally in the state assembly, which has reduced from 17 to 15, after two of its sitting MLAs, Arjun Modhwadia and C J Chavda, quit the party and got re-elected to the state assembly on BJP symbol.&nbsp; Had the Congress state leaders concentrated more on this seat and done more microplanning, like booth and village-wise, it might have helped the party to retain the seat. But it seems that the party seniors, after addressing one or two public meetings, left it to MP Geniben Thakor to sail the ship; she fell short against the ruling party's army and fund. Results clearly shows that there are strong anti-ruling party votes, and people are unhappy with the ruling party, but the congress is not able to encash it; either they lack interest or are not able to connect with people to its best, which makes victory sure for the party and its candidates.&nbsp;

BJP candidate Swaroopji Thakor celebrating victory with party workers

BJP's candidate Swaroopji Thakor made it to the state assembly with a margin of 2353 votes; his victory saved political career of many leaders in the party

BJP's victory on Vav seat, setback for Congress MP Geniben

BJP's candidate Swaroopji Thakor made it to the state assembly with a margin of 2353 votes; his victory saved political career of many leaders in the ...

November 23, 2024 | 17:27 IST