With Tribal-dominated Valsad Seat in Its Kitty, BJP's Phenomenal Victory Was No Surprise

Ahmedabad: As the nation waited with bated breath to find out the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, political analysts and leaders were busy monitoring the counting of votes in Gujarat’s tribal-dominated Valsad seat.

Electoral history reveals that a party which wins from Valsad seat ultimately forms the government at the Centre. The trend was seen in the 2019 polls too as BJP candidate Dr. KC Patel won from this seat and the NDA is now at the cusp of forming the government at the Centre.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had begun his poll campaign for Gujarat from this tribal-dominated and ‘auspicious’ seat on February 14. However, trends show that he was unable to convert votes in the favour of the Congress.

The Valsad seat recorded 75.21 per cent voter turnout, the highest among the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat during this election. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it had witnessed 74.88 percent voter turnout and BJP had won the seat. The party repeated its sitting MP Patel, while Congress fielded its Kaprada MLA Jitu Chaudhary.

In the 2017 assembly polls, of the seven assembly seats that make up the Valsad Lok Sabha seat, BJP had won four while Congress won three assembly seats. Valsad Lok Sabha seat consists of seven assembly constituencies, which include Dangs, Vansda, Dharampur, Valsad, Pardi, Kaprada and Umargoan.

During the 2019 general elections, voter turnout in Gujarat was recorded at 64.11 per cent, the highest ever in electoral history in general elections in the state.

In 1962 general elections, voter turnout was 57.96%, in 1967 (63.77%), in 1971 (55.49 %), in 1977 (59.21 %), in 1980 (55.42 %), in 1984 (57.93 %), in 1989 (54.70 %), in 1991 (44.01 %), in 1996 (35.92 %), in 1998 (59.30 %), in 1999 (47.03 %), in 2004 (45.16 %), in 2009 (47. 89%) and in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, voter turnout was recorded 63.66 percent in Gujarat.

As per the official record, there were 22 Lok Sabha seats in 1962 elections while it increased to 24 seats in 1967. Since 1977 general elections, Gujarat has been sending 26 Members of Parliament. In 2019 polls, Gujarat is set win all 26 Lok Sabha seats.