One of the districts where BJP’s internal stir gathered significant moss, Vadodara, saw Dr Hemang Joshi win against Congress candidate Jashpalsinh Padhiyar by more than 5.82 lakh votes.

The political landscape of Vadodara, one of the prominent Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat, witnessed a straight fight between the BJP and Congress candidates.  

The BJP, which held a firm grip on this seat, faced an unexpected twist when the incumbent MP, Ranjan Bhatt, announced her decision not to contest the upcoming elections. Citing personal reasons, Bhatt’s departure paved the way for new faces to emerge.

Dr Hemang Joshi, the newly announced BJP candidate, was a youthful figure in Vadodara’s political scene.

Representing the Congress, Jashpalsinh Padhiyar stepped up as the opposition’s candidate. At 41, Padhiyar is deeply rooted in the local community through his engagement in the agriculture, transportation, and business sectors. His candidacy signified the Congress’ efforts to regain its historical influence in a constituency that has seen BJP dominance since the late 90s.

Vadodara’s electoral significance dates back to its first elections in 1957, initially known as Baroda during the Bombay State era.

The constituency was later renamed to Vadodara following the 2009 elections. It has been a battleground for various political shifts and comprises seven Vidhan Sabha segments within the Vadodara district.

The BJP’s dominance began in 1998 with Jayaben Thakkar and continued with Balkrishna Khanderao Shukla.

The most notable event in recent political history of the constituency was PM Narendra Modi’s election in 2014, where he won by a massive margin. He secured 8,45,464 votes out of the total 11.63 lakh votes polled in Vadodara although he vacated this seat to retain Varanasi.

(With input from syndicated feed)