Constituency profile: North Gujarat

Starting today, The Indian Post will profile various Lok Sabha constituencies of Gujarat. We begin with North Gujarat which sends four MPs to the Lok Sabha, from Mehsana, Patan, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha.

By Mahesh Langa

Ahmedabad, Feb. 27: Mehsana has been a BJP stronghold since two decades. After Indira Gandhi’s assassination, Congress swept the elections riding on a sympathy wave in its favour. In 1984 General Elections, the BJP won just two seats nationwide and one of them was Mehsana. Patels constitute 40 per cent of the electorate in the district, followed by 24 per cent Kshatriyas and the rest being SC/ST, Muslims, Bharwads and Banias.

BJP retained the seat in 1984, ’91 and ’96 General Elections. However, the BJP received a humiliating defeat when its candidate lost to Congress’ Atmaram Patel. With Atmaram’s demise in 2002, BJP again recaptured the seat in a by-election held with Gujarat Assembly elections in December 2002.

Patan is one of the two seats in the state reserved for SC. Like Mehsana, Patan has also been a BJP bastion. BJP candidate Mahesh Kanodia has represented it from 1991 to 1998. However, Congress’ Praveen Rastrapal wrested it from the BJP in 1999 general elections.

The demographics of Patan are: 28 per cent Kshatriyas, 27 per cent Patels, 9 per cent SC and 9 per cent Muslims. Other 25 per cent includes Brahmins, Bharwards and Banias.

Border district Banaskantha is another constituency from the North Gujarat. Unlike Patan and Mehsana, Banaskantha has been changing hands in almost all General Elections since 1991. BJP won it in 1991 in the absence of Congress candidate, as the Congress had left it to its electoral ally Janata Dal (G). However, Congress’ B.K. Gadhvi, who represented it in 1980, 1984 and 1989, again emerged victorious here in 1996. However, the Congress could not continue its winning streak and the BJP wrested it back in 1999 General Elections.

Banaskantha has 20 per cent Patels, 11 per cent SC and 18 per cent Kolis. Rabaris, Kshatriyas and Muslims also have a sizable population in the constituency.

Adjoining Banaskantha is the tribal district of Sabarkantha. The Congress has been retaining it for three terms. BJP last won it in 1991. Tribals, who constitute 28 per cent of the population, dominate the district followed by Patels at 18 per cent and Kshatriyas at 15 per cent.