Ahmedabad East MP Candidates: It’s Patidar vs Patidar in constituency with strong demand for reservations

Ahmedabad East constituency has been a BJP stronghold for several terms. This election, as incumbent MP Paresh Rawal backs off, both BJP and INC have fielded candidates from the Patidar community, in the wake of continuing demand and agitation for reservations for them.

Ahmedabad East constituency was created as part of the delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituency Order(2008). Along with Ahmedabad West, this constituency was carved out from the erstwhile Ahmedabad constituency, which has been a BJP stronghold since 1989. The first two elections from the Ahmedabad East constituency have seen BJP candidates comes to power. Actor turned politician Paresh Rawal was elected from the constituency in 2014, but has decided not to contest in the upcoming elections.

The constituency is spread across the districts of Gandhi Nagar and Ahmedabad and comprises of seven assembly constituencies: Dehgam, Gandhinagar South, Vatva, Nikol, Naroda, Thakkarbapa Nagar, Bapunagar. The constituency has a total number of 1809841 voters; 954055 male, 855719 female, and 67 others.

The constituency has been a site of agitations by the Patidar community demanding reservations,with the movement reaching its peak in 2015 at Bapunagar. Hardik Patel of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) had emerged as the leader of this movement. While the state had, in 2016, introduced a special ordinance providing for 10% reservation for economically backward clases among upper castes, it was struck down by the Gujarat High Court. The demand for reservations by the Patidar community meanwhile continues, with Hardik Patel in 2018 going on a hunger strike demanding the community’s inclusion in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list.

With the issue of reservation for Patidars being very much alive, the two major parties — BJP and INC — have both given tickets to candidates from the Patidar community. And in doing so, they end a tradition in the constituency of having candidates who belong to the the Brahmin caste.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has accepted the  nominations of 26 candidates representing various political parties or standing as independent candidates. While four applicants have withdrawn their nominations the body has rejected five applications.

[flexiblemap src=”http://data.opencity.in/Data/Gujarat-Parliament-Constituency-Ahmedabad-East-Map-V-1.kml” width=”100%” height=”400px” ]

Note – Map for representation purpose | Source – http://datameet.org
2014 Lok Sabha elections  

61.52% of the 1601832 electors from the constituency voted in the 16th Lakh Sabha elections; with the BJP candidate winning the seat by a margin of 326633 votes.

Name of candidate Party Votes Secured Vote share ( over total votes polled )
Paresh Rawal BJP 633582 64.29 %
H.S.Patel INC 306949 31.15%
Dinesh Vaghela AAP 11349 1.15%
NOTA 14358 1.46%

Source: Election Commission of India | Open City

Know your candidates 

HasmukhBhai Somabhai Patel (BJP)

Patel is a two time MLA  currently representing BJP from Amraiwadi constituency. In both 2012 and 2017 Assembly elections he procured over 60 percentage of the votes. He had served as a councillor before being elected to the Legislative Assembly.

  • Age: 58
  • Education: Diploma in textile manufacturing
  • Profession: Businessman
  • Email: hasmukh_1160@yahoo.com
  • Phone: +91 9327426122
  • Twitter: @hasmukhpatelbjp

Pending criminal cases

None

Assets and Liabilities

Year Total Assets( Movable +Immovable) Liabilites
2017 Rs 5,76,56,990 Rs 73,67,022
2019 Rs 7,46,99,690 Rs 62,52,577

Source: myneta.info

For details of his affidavit submitted to the ECI click here.

Geetaben Patel (INC) 

Patel is the convenor of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, and a close aide of Hardik Patel (leader of the movement). She is the only female candidate fielded by Congress in the state of Gujarat.

  • Age: 39
  • Education: 10th grade
  • Profession: Social worker
  • Email: geetapatidar1111@gmail.com
  • Phone: 9714261111
  • Twitter: @GeetaPatel1111

Pending criminal cases: Six

These include several offences under the IPC, including 2 related to Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty (IPC Section-332); 1 related to House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint (IPC Section-452); 5 related to Punishment for Rioting (IPC Section-147); 2 related to Act of endangering life or personal safety of others (IPC Section-336), and several others.

Assets and Liabilities

Year Total Assets( Movable +Immovable) Liabilites
2019 Rs 4,03,75, 418 Rs 31,21, 888

Source: myneta.info

Details of the affidavit submitted by Patel can be found here.

Naresh Jayshwal 

Jayshwal, a trans woman will be contesting as an independent candidate from the constituency. Jayshwal has earlier contested but lost  in the 2015 Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation elections. She is unfazed by her opposition and has told Hindustan Times that it is high time for change, and that voting should be done not based on the party but on the candidate.

  • Age: 28
  • Education: 10th grade
  • Profession: Labour work
  • Contact: 7383307704 ; 6351135238

Pending criminal cases

None

Assets and Liabilities

Year Total Assets( Movable +Immovable) Liabilites
2019 Rs 5,62,000 Nil

Source: myneta.info

Details of the affidavit submitted by Jayshwal can be found here.

Other candidates 

Name Party
Vaghela Ganeshbhai Narasinbhai; 59, 12th pass, Retired (Agriculturist ) Bahujan Samaj Party
Kadri Mohammad Sabir; 33, 5th Pass, Private Job Ambedkar National Congress
Chauhan Narendrasinh Makhtalsinh; 51, Graduate, Retired from Indian Army Yuva Jan Jagriti Party
Thakur Jitendrasinh; 33, 12th Pass. Loktantrik Rashtravadi Party
Bhatt SunilKumar Narendrabhai; 38, Post Graduate, Umemployed Right to Recall Party
Manoj Premchand Gupta; 35, 8th Pass, Social Worker/Private Contractor Sarvodaya Bharat Party
Mishra Arjun Ramshankar ; 27, Education classes Jan Sangharsh Virat Party
Atulbhai Kathriya; 34, Graduate, Business and Accounting Independent
Chauhan Kirtibhai; 48, 10th Pass, Auto Driver Independent

The full list of candidates along with their financial details can be seen here.

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