SURAT: The Varachha Road constituency — home to one of the world's largest diamond cutting-and-polishing hubs — is expected to be the site of the fiercest ever electoral battle since its creation after the 2007 delimitation exercise. The Varachha Road seat was carved out of Surat City North and Surat City West constituencies. With over 1.98 lakh voters, the Patidar-dominated area was the epicentre of violence during the quota stir in August 2015. This year, it has two prominent Patidar leaders battling each other.
Dhirubhai Gajera, 64, of the Congress and Kishore alias Kumar Kanani, 55, of the BJP are taking on each other for the second time. Kanani defeated Gajera in 2012 by 20,359 votes. Though the Congress did not have a strong base in the area, Gajera had managed to get 48,170 votes (37.80%) against 68,529 (53.78%) votes won by Kanani. The two, who come from Amreli (Saurashtra), were once colleagues in the BJP. Kanani's village, Juna Savar, is about 28km from Gajera's native Amreli city.
Varachha was chosen by Patidars from Saurashtra to set up trading units. The area gradually became an undivided part of the Diamond City with thousands migrating here from Saurashtra villages. With over 1.40 lakh Patidar voters, this constituency is important for both the Congress and the BJP.
The contest has become a prestige issue for the two Patidar leaders. Gajera has the support of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) led by the firebrand Hardik Patel. Kanani, on the other hand, is facing ire of the Patidars. The BJP is finding it tough to campaign in the constituency as many Patidar-dominated societies have banned the entry of BJP members. A couple of cases of clashes between Patidars and BJP workers have been reported over the past two weeks.
Gajera had lost the previous two elections he contested on a Congress ticket. Though he was defeated in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls by the BJP's Darshana Jardosh, his vote share was 41%. Gajera had been an active worker of the Jan Sangh since 1971 and became a BJP MLA from Surat North constituency in 1995. In fact, in that election, Kanani had campaigned for him in Varachha. Kanani had joined the BJP in 1987 when Gajera won his first election as a BJP councillor in the Surat Municipal Corporation.
Gajera won from Surat North in 1998 and 2002. He was replaced by Nanu Vanani, a confidant of Narendra Modi, in 2007 following which he quit the BJP and joined the Congress. Kanani came into the picture only in 2005, winning a municipal election from Varachha. He won again in 2010. He contested the assembly polls for the first time from Varachha Road seat in 2012.
Dhirubhai Gajera, 64, of the Congress and Kishore alias Kumar Kanani, 55, of the BJP are taking on each other for the second time. Kanani defeated Gajera in 2012 by 20,359 votes. Though the Congress did not have a strong base in the area, Gajera had managed to get 48,170 votes (37.80%) against 68,529 (53.78%) votes won by Kanani. The two, who come from Amreli (Saurashtra), were once colleagues in the BJP. Kanani's village, Juna Savar, is about 28km from Gajera's native Amreli city.
Varachha was chosen by Patidars from Saurashtra to set up trading units. The area gradually became an undivided part of the Diamond City with thousands migrating here from Saurashtra villages. With over 1.40 lakh Patidar voters, this constituency is important for both the Congress and the BJP.
The contest has become a prestige issue for the two Patidar leaders. Gajera has the support of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) led by the firebrand Hardik Patel. Kanani, on the other hand, is facing ire of the Patidars. The BJP is finding it tough to campaign in the constituency as many Patidar-dominated societies have banned the entry of BJP members. A couple of cases of clashes between Patidars and BJP workers have been reported over the past two weeks.
Gajera had lost the previous two elections he contested on a Congress ticket. Though he was defeated in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls by the BJP's Darshana Jardosh, his vote share was 41%. Gajera had been an active worker of the Jan Sangh since 1971 and became a BJP MLA from Surat North constituency in 1995. In fact, in that election, Kanani had campaigned for him in Varachha. Kanani had joined the BJP in 1987 when Gajera won his first election as a BJP councillor in the Surat Municipal Corporation.
Gajera won from Surat North in 1998 and 2002. He was replaced by Nanu Vanani, a confidant of Narendra Modi, in 2007 following which he quit the BJP and joined the Congress. Kanani came into the picture only in 2005, winning a municipal election from Varachha. He won again in 2010. He contested the assembly polls for the first time from Varachha Road seat in 2012.
Get latest news & live updates on the go on your pc with News App. Download The Times of India news app for your device.
