BJP’s Chandu Shihora won against Congress’ Rutvik Makwana from Surendranagar parliamentary constituency.

Shihora was previously leading with 2,00,911 votes.

In the Lok Sabha elections in Morbi, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the Congress were in a face-off. The BJP nominated Chandu Shihora, a community leader.

Surendranagar registered a dull 54.77% voter turnout on May 7 polling for phase III.

On the opposition front, the Congress positioned Rutvik Makwana, a current member of the legislative assembly from Chotila constituency, to strengthen its campaign.

Shihora is a prominent figure within the Chuvaliya Koli community, known for his involvement in community-oriented events like mass weddings and student felicitation functions.

Meanwhile, Makwana, also from the Koli caste, has been a vocal critic of the BJP, evidenced by his arrest in March 2021 during a tractor rally against prime minister Narendra Modi.

Dynamics of Surendranagar Lok Sabha constituency

Amidst the political contest, a strong campaign titled ‘Kshatriya Asmita Dharmarath’ was launched on Apr 23.

This three-day campaign to mobilise against the BJP traversed over 30 villages in Surendranagar district.

Spearheaded by community leaders and supported by a newly formed committee of young Kshatriyas, this initiative aims to influence booth-level voting patterns across the district.

Surendranagar is a significant economic hub in Gujarat, with thriving chemical, textile, cotton, and plastic industries.

This city holds considerable political importance due to the influence of the Koli community. Historically, Soma Patel has been a prominent figure, winning elections from both the Congress and BJP parties.

The Surendranagar Lok Sabha constituency encompasses several assembly seats: Viramgam, Limbdi, Dhrangadhra, Dhandhuka, Wadhwan, Dhasa, and Chotila, with the Dhasa seat being reserved for the SC category.

In recent elections, Mahendra Munjapara from the BJP won in 2019 with a significant margin, while in 2014, Devji Bhai of the BJP secured the seat with 56% of the votes, with Soma Patel from the Congress trailing with 34.5%.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)