The by-election results for two assembly constituencies in Gujarat have brought mixed fortunes for the major political parties, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning one seat each.
In Visavadar (Junagadh district), AAP leader and former state president Gopal Italia secured a significant victory over BJP’s Kirit Patel by a margin of 17,554 votes. According to the Election Commission data, Italia received 75,942 votes after 21 rounds of counting, while Patel garnered 58,388 votes. This win marks a notable comeback for AAP in the region.
Meanwhile, in the SC-reserved Kadi constituency (Mehsana district), BJP’s Rajendra Chavda defeated Congress candidate Ramesh Chavda with a commanding margin of 39,452 votes. Rajendra received 99,742 votes, while Ramesh Chavda, a former MLA, managed 60,290 votes.
The Visavadar seat had fallen vacant in December 2023 after AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined BJP. Kadi became vacant following the demise of sitting BJP MLA Karshan Solanki on February 4.
While the BJP and Congress were locked in a traditional contest in Kadi, AAP also fielded candidate Jagdish Chavda, making it a three-way battle.
These results are likely to shape the political strategies of all three parties as Gujarat heads into the next round of electoral contests.
