By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Ahmedbad: There was very little hope for victories for most Muslim candidate in communally polarised Gujarat assembly elections. However, defeat of Iqbal Patel from Vagara in Bharuch region of the state.
Incumbent Patel was three time MLA and is considered right hand man of Ahmed Patel.
Interestingly Vagara with a Muslim population of above 44% has elected a BJP candidate Arunsinh Rana who defeated Patel with a comfortable margin of 14,000 votes, and pulled nearly 68,500 votes against 54,000 votes of Iqbal Patel.
Iqbal Patel (center)
Siraj Bhim, editor of Gujarati monthly Paratyaghat said even Muslim villages went against Iqbal Patel and voted in the favour of Arunsinh who formerly was with the Congress before joining the BJP.
Anti-incumbency against Patel was so high, that even from his own native village of Dehrol, Arunsinh pulled 600 votes.
Congress insiders told TCN that some Muslim congress leaders in Bharuch district played critical role in the defeat of Iqbal, as they were not given an opportunity to contest from the Vagara seat, which was always believed to be a safe seat for a Muslim candidate.
Another factor could be election rally of Narendra Modi in Vagara just four days before the polling in which he tried to appease Muslims. Asifa Khan, former Congress spokesperson, who joined BJP just three months before the election, is also a native of Bharuch district. She campaigned aggressively against Iqbal Patel in Muslim dominated villages, to turn anti-incumbency in the favour of BJP.
When this TCN reporter had met him during the election campaign, Patel was confident of his victory. TCN tried to contact Iqbal Patel for his reaction but he was not available for the comments at this point.
Related link:
For ‘dying’ Congress in Bharuch, Iqbal Patel comes as a savior
http://twocircles.net/2012dec13/%E2%80%98dying%E2%80%99_congress_bharuch_iqbal_patel_comes_savior.html
TCN series on Gujarat elections