The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a stinging defeat in Gujarat’s Visavadar bypoll, failing to break an 18-year jinx as Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Gopal Italia clinched the seat with a 17,554-vote margin. However, the ruling party found solace in Kadi, where its candidate Rajendra Chavda secured a commanding 39,452-vote victory over Congress.
In Visavadar, a Junagadh district constituency, Italia, AAP’s former Gujarat chief, polled 75,942 votes, trouncing BJP’s Kirit Patel, who garnered 58,388 votes after 21 rounds of counting, per Election Commission data. The seat, vacant since December 2023 after AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani’s resignation and switch to BJP, saw a fierce campaign led by senior BJP leaders, including Union Minister CR Paatil. Yet, local voters reaffirmed their faith in AAP, relegating Congress’ Nitin Ranpariya to a distant third with just 5,501 votes.
“Visavadar’s people have shown that resolve trumps money and muscle power,” Italia declared, predicting BJP’s potential ouster in 2027 if Gujarat follows suit. BJP spokesperson Yagnesh Dave conceded the loss, claiming Italia misled voters with “hollow promises” but vowed a comeback in the next assembly polls.
Visavadar has eluded BJP since 2007, when former CM Keshubhai Patel last won it for the party. His later rebellion, forming the Gujarat Parivartan Party, and subsequent Congress and AAP victories in 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2022, cemented the seat’s anti-BJP streak. Despite high-octane rallies, including Paatil’s plea to voters on June 9 to correct past “mistakes,” BJP’s efforts fizzled.
In Kadi, a Mehsana district reserved seat vacant since February 2024 after BJP MLA Karsan Solanki’s death, Rajendra Chavda’s 99,742 votes outshone Congress’ Ramesh Chavda’s 60,290. AAP’s Jagdish Chavda trailed in the three-way race. The defeat in both seats prompted Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil to resign on “moral grounds.”
The bypoll results leave BJP with 162 seats in the 182-member Gujarat assembly, Congress with 12, AAP with 5, Samajwadi Party with 1, and independents with 2. While BJP’s Kadi win reinforces its dominance, Visavadar’s loss signals AAP’s growing foothold in Gujarat’s political landscape.