By TCN Staff Reporter,
Ahmedabad: Dariapura constituency with the Muslim population of 44% saw the close fight between Congress candidate Gayasuddin Sheikh and BJP’s Bharat Bharot.
Gayasuddin Sheikh won with a narrow margin of 2000 votes by pulling in total 60,976 votes, against his rival Bharat Bharot who got 58,346 votes.
Dariapura was a unique seat as three sitting MLA’s were contesting from the same seat. Dariapura was formed with the merging of Shahpur and Kalupur, both represented by Muslim MLA’s. When congress allotted ticket from Dariapur to Shahpur MLA Gayasuddin Sheikh, Kalupur MLA Farooq Sheikh revolted and tried to contest against Gayasuddin.
But Farooq Sheikh two days before the polling come to a settlement with Gayasuddin and announced his support for Congress’s official candidate.
Danish Qureshi who campaigned for Congress in Dariapura told TCN that if Farooq Sheikh wouldn’t had withdrawn from election then Dariapura could have ended in the same fate of Jamalpur-Khadia where Muslim vote divide has benefited the BJP candidate.
Ahmedabad Muslims which in 2007 use to have three Muslim MLA’s from the city has got only one seat now. And the narrow win in Dariapura has got something for them to look forward for and cheer for with some self-introspection.
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Curious case of Daryapura Constituency – a glimpse of Muslim politics in Gujarat
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