Our Correspondent / AMN / AHMEDABAD
Despite all efforts of polarisation in Gujarat, three Muslim candidates emerged victorious in the the state elections, result of which was declared on Monday. All the winners are from Congress party which had fielded six candidates from the community.
Imran Yusufbhai Khedawala won the Jamalpur-Khadia constituency in Ahmedabad with a margin of 29,339 votes. Imran Khedawala, Congress candidate from Jamalpur-Khadia seat in Ahmedabad, defeated two-term sitting MLA and BJP candidate Bhushan Bhatt by over 29,300 votes. Khedawala got 75,346 votes, as compared with 46,007 votes for Bhatt. Gyasuddin Habibuddin Shekh, won from Dariyapur constituency in the state capital with a margin of 6,187 votes.
Another Congress candidate and Sitting MLA from Wankaner Pirzada Mahamad Javid Abdulmutalib has retained his seat. Mohammad Javed Pirzada was declared winner on the Wankaner seat with a margin of 1,361 votes.
Pirzada Mahamad Javid won the Wankaner seat after a close contest with his nearest rival of BJP. According to the final tally, Pirzada polled 72,588 Votes as against Jitendra Kantilal Somani of BJP who bagged 71,227 votes.
In the outgoing Assembly, there had been only two Muslims:
The three losing Muslim candidates of the Congress include Suleman Patel, the nominee from Vagra seat in Bharuch. Patel lost with a margin of 2,370 votes in a close contest against sitting MLA and BJP candidate Arunsinh Rana.
Congress nominee Adam Chaki gave a tough fight from Bhuj seat to BJP MLA Nimaben Acharya, but fell short. Chaki had a big lead against the sitting MLA in the initial rounds, but fell behind in the race in later stages to lose with a margin of over 14,000 votes.
Iqbal Patel, the Congress’s nominee from Surat West seat, suffered the biggest defeat among the minority candidates, losing with a margin of 77,800 votes to BJP MLA Purnesh Modi.
In the 2012 Gujarat Assembly elections, the Congress had fielded seven Muslim candidates but only two could win – Gyasuddin Habibuddin Shekh from Dariyapur seat in Ahmedabad and Pirzada Mahamadjavid Abdul Mutalib from Wankaner constituency in the Morbi district. Both were fielded from the same seats this time also.
The Muslim voters are said to have been in a position to influence outcome in 18 Assembly constituencies in the state. However, both the BJP and Congress have, over the years, given fewer and fewer tickets to Muslim candidates. This time Congress has fielded only six Muslim candidates while BJP has not given ticket to Muslims.
Muslims had best representation in state assembly in 1980 when 12 candidate out 17 were elected that year
Muslim Representation in Gujarat Assembly (1995 – 2017)
Year Muslim Winners Seats in Assembly
1995 01 182
1998 05 182
2002 03 182
2007 05 182
2012 02 182
2017 03 182
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