Gujarat Elections 2022: Congress Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani wins Vadgam seat for second time

A popular face, Jignesh Mevani who is the working president of the Gujarat Congress, won his Vadgam seat again, but his party had its worst performance ever in the state. He is one of the state's most well-known Dalit faces.

As an independent MLA, Mevani won the Vadgam constituency in the 2017 Gujarat assembly election. By not fielding a candidate in the constituency, Congress showed its support for him.

Mevani, 41, leads the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, a forum advocating for Dalit rights.

Vadgam is a reserved seat for scheduled castes (SCs) in which Muslim voters have a significant role. About 90,000 Muslim voters make up a third of Vadgam's 2.94 million electorates. There are approximately 44,000 Dalit and 15,000 Rajput voters. The remainder is primarily OBCs.

The ruling BJP has won more than 150 of the state's 182 seats, breaking the record set by the Congress in 1985 with 149 seats. This is a record not only for the party but also for the state.

Another record has been set by the BJP in Gujarat with its seventh consecutive term. Its victory is due to the PM's central role in its campaign, which included more than 30 rallies in his home state.

Also read : Gujarat Elections 2022: Congress Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani trailing in Vadgam