Gujarat elections: With CM in poll fray, here are 5 key fights to watch out for in Phase 2

The polling for 93 seats in the second phase of the Assembly election in Gujarat, a BJP bastion since 1995, will take place today. These constituencies including Ghatlodia, Vadgam, Viramgam, Godhra and Ellisbridge are spread across 14 districts of the state. It is worth recalling that the 2017 election was a close shave for BJP with the saffron party getting 99 seats in contrast to Congress' 77 seats. AAP is aiming to emerge as a key force in Gujarat which has traditionally witnessed a bipolar contest between BJP and Congress. 

Here are 5 key contests:

• Ghatlodia: Bhupendra Patel (BJP) vs Amee Yagnik (Congress)

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel is seeking re-election from this seat which he won in the previous election by a whopping margin of 1,17,750 votes. An engineer who has served as the chairman of the Standing Committee of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation replaced Vijay Rupani as the Chief Minister on September 12, 2021. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has publicly declared that Patel will continue to remain at the helm of affairs after the election. The first-time MLA is up against Congress' Amee Yajnik who was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2018. AAP's Vijay Patel is also in the poll fray. 

• Vadgam: Jignesh Mevani (Congress) vs Manilal Vaghela (BJP)

While this seat is currently being held by Jignesh Mevani, BJP has fielded ex-Congress leader Manilal Vaghela. While Vaghela defeated his BJP rival by 21,839 votes in the 2012 election, Congress chose to repose faith in Mevani who was contesting as an Independent in the last polls. A former journalist and lawyer, the latter is the founder of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch and has been at the forefront of many agitations in Gujarat. However, he faces a tough challenge this time owing to AIMIM and AAP's entry. 

• Viramgam: Hardik Patel (BJP) vs Lakhabhai Bharwad (Congress)

Known for spearheading the Patidar quota agitation, Patel formally joined Congress on March 12, 2019, and was appointed as the working president of the party's Gujarat unit on July 11, 2020. But, he resigned from the party's primary membership on May 18 after launching a scathing attack on the party leadership. Patel, who joined BJP in June, is making his poll debut from Viramgam. On the other hand, Congress has given the ticket to Lakhabhai Bharwad who trounced BJP's Tejashree Patel by a narrow margin of 6,548 votes in the 2017 Assembly election.

• Gandhinagar South: Alpesh Thakor (BJP) vs Himanshu Patel (Congress)

Gandhinagar South is perceived as another prestigious seat for BJP as it has fielded Alpesh Thakor. Thakor, one of the key leaders responsible for Congress' commendable performance in the 2017 election, had won from Radhanpur. While he switched allegiance to BJP in 2019, he could not retain his seat in the subsequent by-election. BJP's Shambhuji Thakor secured a win in the Gandhinagar South seat in 2012 as well as 2017. Congress has fielded Himanshu Patel to take on Thakor in this seat which is seen as a BJP bastion.

• Godhra: CK Raulji (BJP) vs Rashmitaben Chauhan (Congress)

Former Congress-turned-BJP leader CK Raulji is seeking his fourth consecutive win from Godhra. While he won in 2007 and 2012 on a Congress ticket, Raulji managed to retain this seat last time as a BJP candidate by merely 258 votes. In a bid to corner the opposition during the election, BJP leaders such as UP CM Yogi Adityanath also evoked the 2002 train carnage in which 59 Hindu pilgrims and Karsevaks lost their lives. Meanwhile, Congress, AIMIM and AAP have fielded Rashmitaben Chauhan, Hasan Shabbir Kachaba and Rajeshbhai Patel respectively.