India
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Swarupji Thakor secured a narrow win in the Vav assembly constituency of Gujarat, defeating Congress’s Gulabsinh Rajput by a margin of just 2,442 votes in a tense, closely fought contest. After 24 rounds of counting, Thakor received 92,176 votes, while Rajput garnered 89,734 votes.
Tight Race Throughout the Counting
Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi revealed that Rajput had maintained a clear lead until the 15th round of counting but started to lose ground from the 16th round. Thakor’s momentum picked up in the final rounds, allowing him to overtake Rajput and secure the lead.
The election, held on November 13, saw a voter turnout of 70.55%. Swarupji Thakor’s victory marked a significant moment for the BJP in the region, following a highly competitive campaign.
Other Candidates and Voting Details
Independent candidate Mavji Patel, who was denied a BJP ticket, finished with 27,195 votes. The by-election in Vav was triggered by the election of sitting Congress MLA Geniben Thakor to the Lok Sabha earlier this year from the Banaskantha constituency.
A total of 3.1 lakh voters—1.61 lakh men and 1.49 lakh women—were eligible to vote at 321 polling booths across 192 stations. The constituency’s voter demographic includes significant representation from the Thakor, Chaudhary, Dalit, Maldhari, and Brahmin communities.
The BJP’s campaign was led by state party president CR Patil, while Congress’s efforts were bolstered by party president Shaktisinh Gohil and legislative party leader Amit Chavda.
Historical Context
Swarupji Thakor had contested the Vav seat during the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections but lost to Geniben Thakor, the incumbent legislator. Geniben had previously won the seat in 2017 with a notable victory over BJP leader Shankar Chaudhary.
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