The results also witnessed the resurgent party to narrow the vote lead of 4,30,749 votes in 2012 to 49,351 votes.
If there was any region in Gujarat that voted in a totally different way in 2017 as compared to 2012 was Saurashtra-Kutch. While both the major parties added voters to their previous tally, it was 27.43% gain on the part of Congress to remove the deficit of 21 seats over rival BJP in 2012 to take a seven-seat lead in recent elections.
The results also witnessed the resurgent party to narrow the vote lead of 4,30,749 votes in 2012 to 49,351 votes. The prime reason is the addition of 8,14,614 votes by Congress as compared to 3,14,165 votes by BJP in terms of previous elections.
The net result was that Congress increased its tally from 16 to 30, while BJP dropped its tally from a massive 35 to 23. Saurashtra region has 48 seats, while Kutch has six seats in the 182-seat Legislative Assembly of Gujarat. Congress was able to regain 16 seats from BJP by conceding only four seats in the region. Seats that Congress wrested from BJP include predominantly rural seats of Dhrangadhra, Morbi, Tankara, Chotila, Wankaner, Jasdan, Kalavad, Jamjodhpur, Khambhaliya, Junagadh, Mangrol, Kodinar, Una, Dhari, Gadhada and Talaja. While the four seats have more urban aspect to it. These include Rajkot-East, Jamnagar-North, Palitana and Jetpur.
Saurashtra-Kutch region is the least urbanised among all the regions and this has been one of key reason why BJP suffered a severe setback. With predominantly agrarian economy, the region suffered two erratic monsoons in past three years. What added to the natural calamity was administrative indifference in terms of timely intervention, whether it was ensuring drought and flood relief or remunerative prices for crops like cotton and groundnut. Last minute move to declare MSP for groundnut was too late and too less for the farmers.
This region also witnessed the most high profile contest between Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Congress rival Indranil Rajguru from Rajkot-West Constituency. What was supposed to be a keen contest saw Rupani winning by a healthy margin of 53,755 votes.
However, former ministers Dilip Sanghani and Bavku Undhad lost their respective battle. Former Finance Minister Saurabh Patel managed to win from Botad by a narrow margin. While Koli heavyweight Purushottam Solanki won, his younger brother Hira Solanki suffered a setback.
In fact then Congress vice-president had kicked off his campaign from religious place of Dwarka and his soft Hindutva got reception from the masses. In Amreli, Morbi and Gir Somnath, Congress swept and the contest was absolutely one sided.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come to Saurashtra on multiple occasions to woo the voters. In Bhavnagar district, from where state BJP President Jitu Waghani had contested, Modi had addressed two rallies and just after Diwali, he had inaugurated the Dahej – Ghogha RO-RO service. BJP won in most the seats in the district.
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