Ahmedabad, Dec 8 The Samajwadi Party’s cycle is all set to enter the Gujarat Assembly with its candidate, Kandhal Jadeja leading with heavy margins on Kutiyana seat in Porbandar district in Saurashtra.

As per the election commission data as at 11 am, Jadeja is leading by about 6,500 votes over Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)‘s Dheliben Odedara.

Jadeja, a two-time MLA from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was denied a ticket following which he quit the Sharad Pawar-led party to join Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP). Jadeja, son of lady mafia, Santokben Jadeja continues her political legacy.

As the NCP candidate from Kutiyana, Jadeja had won with heavy margins in 2012 and 2017 at 18,474 and 23,709 respectively. This time the voter turnout was lower at 56.58 per cent, down from 64.36 per cent in 2012 and 59.16 per cent in 2017.

The NCP had a poll alliance with Congress in 2012 and 2017. But this time NCP-Congress poll alliance did not include Kutiyana, rather the two parties formed alliance on Naroda, Umreth and Devgadhbariya seats.

The tradition of two-party Assembly in Gujarat is set to break as the new entrant Aam Admi Party (AAP) is set to make its debut in the 182-seat house.

Early trends

The EC trends as at 11 am showed AAP leading on 7 seats, while the ruling BJP is seen further consolidating its position in the State with leads on 152 seats - a record in Gujarat’s electoral history. Last in 1985, Congress under Madhavsinh Solanki had secured 149 seats. The record remained unbroken since.

The ruling BJP’s vote share too has increased to 53.6 per cent from about 49 per cent in 2017 polls. The Congress on the other hand is reduced to feeble minority as it leads on 17 seats with a total voteshare of 26.5 per cent.

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