The Assembly polls in Gujarat saw several stalwarts and top leaders from the BJP and the Congress biting the dust. Several Ministers, the Assembly Speaker and former Ministers of the ruling party lost while four of the Opposition party’s top leaders were defeated.
Among the top BJP leaders who lost were Cabinet Ministers Chimanbhai Saparia, Atmaram Parmar, Shankar Chaudhary, Jashabhai Barad and Speaker Ramanlal Vora; and former Ministers such as Dilip Sanghani, Bavku Undhad, Jaynarayan Vyas, Kiritsinh Rana and Rajni Patel.
In the Congress, four top leaders, Shaktisinh Gohil, Arjun Modhvadia, Tushar Chaudhary and Sidhdharth Patel, lost.
Moreover, those who switched over to the ruling party in July during the Rajya Sabha polls, also failed to make it to the Assembly. Those who lost were: Jamnagar (Rural) seat - Raghavji Patel, Thasra- Ramsinh Parmar, Viramgam - Tejshri Patel, Balasinor - Mansinh Chaudhan, Mansa - Amit Chaudhary. Only C.K. Raolji, who joined the BJP during the Rajya Sabha elections, could win from his Godhra Assembly constituency.
However, the Congress strategy to field its former parliamentarians produced results. In Limbadi ex-MP Somabhai Patel won, in Khambhalia Vikram Madam was triumphant and in Jasdan Kuvarji Bavalia came up trumps.
