Gandhinagar (Japan K Pathak): A Rajya Sabha seat, hard-earned by late Congress leader Ahmed Patel through high-voltage electoral fight in year 2017 is now vacant due to his sad passing away. Looking at the strength of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in State assembly, it is certain that the seat will be won by BJP candidate comfortably whenever by-poll is held, likely in next three months or so.

The strength of ruling BJP in State assembly is 111, while Congress is at 65. Sharad Pawar led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has 1 MLA, Chhotu Vasava led Bharatiya Tribal Party has 2 MLA. There’s one Congress aligned independent candidate also. The State assembly has 180 out of 182 MLAs at present, as two seats Dwarka and Morwa Hadaf are in litigation in the Supreme Court and the High Court and their status is unclear.

In last ten years two Rajya Sabha by-polls have been held in Gujarat. When sitting BJP MP Suryakant Acharya passed away, by-poll was declared and BJP candidate Pravin Nayak had been elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha as Congress had not fielded its candidate at all due to lack of numbers. Similarly when sitting Congress MP Pravin Rashtrapal passed away and by-poll was declared, Congress had not fielded its candidate due to lack of numbers and BJP candidate Parshottam Rupala was declared victorious unopposed.

Both Nayak and Rupala were elected only for left over period of full term of deceased MPs. So in case of the seat occupied by late Ahmed Patel, whoever is elected in subsequent by-poll will be Rajya Sabha MP for three years.

In one of most interesting and closely contested Rajya Sabha elections ever, Ahmed Patel had narrowly defeated BJP candidate Balwantsinh Rajput in 2017. The election was with lot of twist and turn and it was so big a prestige battle ahead of general elections of Gujarat assembly that then BJP chief Amit Shah was sitting outside the counting hall through night. Rajya Sabha election for that seat had its impact on subsequent Gujarat assembly elections. BJP could win 99 seats only, much less than expected by party. Defeated BJP candidate Rajput is now appointed chairman of Gujarat govt arm Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation(GIDC).

DeshGujarat