Palanpur, Nov 7 (PTI) The ruling BJP as well as opposition Congress in Gujarat on Thursday expressed confidence of winning the bypoll to Vav assembly seat in the state despite the election having turned into a three-cornered battle.
The bypoll will be held on November 13, and the counting of votes will take place on November 23.
In view of the bypoll, Gujarat Congress in-charge Mukul Wasnik on Thursday addressed a gathering of Dalits in Vav town of Banaskantha, and said the Congress is fighting this election “to save the Constitution”.
Talking to reporters after the rally, he said though the poll has turned into a three-pronged battle following the entry of a BJP rebel as an independent candidate, the voters in Vav will make the Congress candidate victorious.
“I am confident that the people of Vav constituency will make our candidate, Gulabsinh Rajput, victorious by a huge margin. People will keep in mind the fact that the BJP, be it in Gujarat or at the Centre, has failed to fulfil its pre-poll promises,” Wasnik said.
The Congress leader said he was sure that people will not vote for the BJP even if the entire cabinet of the Gujarat government campaigns here and visits each and every village of Vav because people are angry with the ruling party.
The Vav assembly seat fell vacant following the resignation of Congress MLA Geniben Thakor in June after her victory in the Lok Sabha elections from Banaskantha.
Congress’ former MLA Gulabsinh Rajput will take on BJP’s Swaroopji Thakor, who lost against Geniben from Vav in the 2022 assembly polls.
The other eight candidates in the fray include a candidate of the Bharatiya Jan Parishad Party and seven independents, including Mavji Patel, a BJP rebel and former MLA.
Patel, 73, who belongs to the dominant Chaudhary community, won the Vav seat in 1990 as a Janata Dal candidate. He then joined the opposition Congress but switched over to the ruling BJP in 2019 after being denied a ticket from the Tharad seat in the 2017 assembly polls.
Patel was the Congress candidate from Tharad in Banaskantha district in the 2012 polls, but lost to the BJP. When he was denied a ticket in 2017 from the seat, he fought as an independent but lost to BJP candidate Parbatbhai Patel.
In view of the bypolls, Gujarat BJP president and Union Jal Shakti minister C R Paatil on Thursday visited Bhabhar town of Banaskantha and held a close-door meeting with key party leaders of the district.
Talking about the three-pronged battle, Paatil told reporters, “Everyone has the right to contest elections. Be it three-pronged or four-pronged, I am confident that the BJP will emerge victorious this time.” PTI COR PJT PD NP
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