Hasmukh Patel of BJP has won against his contender Himmatsingh Patel of Congress on the Ahmedabad East seat.

In the electoral arena of Gujarat’s Ahmedabad East, the stage was set for a contest between incumbent BJP MP Hasmukh Patel and Congress’ Himmatsingh Patel after the grand old party’s (GOP) earlier candidate Rohan Gupta quit.

Ahmedabad East registered a dull 54.04% voter turnout on May 7 for the phase III polling.

Gupta’s resignation from the Congress party was a blow to the electoral ambitions of the GOP. He was the national spokesperson and a key figure in the Congress’ communication strategy but withdrew from the race shortly after his candidacy was confirmed on Mar 12. He resigned on Mar 19.

He then joined the BJP which has boosted the prospect of Hasmukh Patel.

The Congress did find a replacement in 58-year-old Himmatsingh Patel, who is an MLA from Bapunagar, which comes under Ahmedabad East.

Having secured his seat in the 2017 assembly elections, Himmatsingh brings a mix of legislative experience and a keen understanding of regional issues. However, his candidacy is not without controversy, given his two criminal records and a financial liability totalling ₹19,01,006.

The 2019 Lok Sabha elections saw a voter turnout of 61.76% in Ahmedabad East, with Hasmukh Patel securing a commanding victory by 4,34,330 votes over the runner-up, Gita Patel, the Congress candidate.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)