Union Home Minister Amit Shah has officially filed his nomination for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat as part of his bid for re-election in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader is vying for a second term from this constituency.
Shah's candidacy comes amid stiff competition, with the Congress party nominating its party secretary, Sonal Patel, who submitted her nomination on April 16. In the previous 2019 elections, Shah clinched victory in Gandhinagar with an impressive vote share of 69.67 percent, defeating Congress candidate CJ Chavda by a significant margin of over 5 lakh votes.
The Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency comprises seven assembly segments: Gandhinagar North, Kalol, Sanand, Ghatlodia, Vejalpur, Naranpura, and Sabarmati, all of which are currently held by the BJP. Historically, this seat has been synonymous with BJP stalwart and former Deputy Prime Minister, L K Advani.
In the forthcoming elections, Gujarat will see voting for all its 26 seats consolidated into a single phase, scheduled for the third phase on May 7.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Shah secured victory for the first time with a commanding margin of 5,57,014 votes. He garnered a total of 8,94,624 votes, representing a vote share of 69.58 percent. His main contender, Congress' Dr CJ Chavda, managed 3,37,610 votes, capturing a vote share of 26.26 percent. The total valid votes polled in the constituency stood at 12,84,090.
Meanwhile, in the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani emerged victorious for the sixth time from Gandhinagar. Advani secured 7,73,539 votes, commanding a vote share of 68.03 percent.
His closest rival, Congress' Kiritbhai Ishvarbhai Patel, received 2,90,418 votes, translating to a vote share of 25.54 percent. Advani triumphed over Patel with a significant margin of 4,83,121 votes. The total valid votes polled in the constituency during that election were 11,35,495.
With Amit Shah's nomination, the political landscape in Gandhinagar gears up for yet another dynamic electoral contest, with both BJP and Congress aiming to secure a stronghold in this crucial constituency.