Congress' Jignesh Mevani Wins Vadgam Seat Again

Jignesh Mevani, a popular face and working president of Gujarat Congress, has won his Vadgam seat again, his party though sank to its worst-ever performance in the state. He is one of the most prominent Dalit faces in the state.

"I thank the people of Vadgam for giving me a positive mandate. This victory shows the trust and faith bestowed upon me by my constituents. This also brings upon me the responsibility to further the cause of the poor and marginalized sections of the society," Mr Mevani tweeted.

In the 2017 Gujarat assembly election, Mr Mevani won the Vadgam constituency as an Independent MLA. The Congress extended support to him by not fielding any candidate in the constituency.

Mr Mevani, 41, is the convener of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, a forum fighting for Dalit rights.

Vadgam is a reserved seat for the scheduled castes (SCs), where Muslim voters play a decisive role. Muslim voters, estimated to be around 90,000, account for a third of Vadgam's 2.94-lakh electorate. There are about 44,000 dalit voters and 15,000 Rajputs. The rest comprise mostly OBCs.

The ruling BJP has collected more than 150 seats of 182 seats, a record not just for the party, but for the state and it demolishes the record set in 1985 when the Congress won 149 seats.

The BJP has secured a seventh consecutive term in Gujarat - another record. Its victory is owed to the central role played by the PM who campaigned across his home state, holding more than 30 rallies.