Gujarat Assembly polls 2022 | BJP MLA Parshottam Solanki confident of win in Bhavnagar-Rural; Cong claims he will lose due to anti-incumbency

Despite the odds, the Congress has expressed hope of wresting the seat from Parshottam Solanki, claiming he will lose due to the anti-incumbency.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat has once again reposed faith in five-time MLA and prominent Koli community leader Parshottam Solanki for Bhavnagar-Rural seat in the upcoming Assembly polls, despite his ill health.

While 61-year-old Mr. Solanki asserts he has resolved all issues of people in his Assembly segment and they will vote for him, the opposition Congress claims this time he will not be able to overcome the anti-incumbency.

This Koli community-dominated seat came into existence in 2012 following delimitation. It was carved out from the erstwhile Ghogha and Bhavnagar South constituencies.

Since then, Mr. Solanki, who is also known as 'Bhai' among his followers, has been winning the seat with comfortable margins.

Though he is not keeping well since some time, the BJP has made him a star campaigner to help the party win Koli-dominated seats of the Saurashtra region.

Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5.

There are nearly 2.5 lakh votes in Bhavnagar-Rural seat, including 70,000 Kolis, followed by 40,000 Rajputs, 22,000 Patidars, 18,000 Dalits, 20,000 Muslims and around 15,000 Karadia Rajputs (Other Backward Class).