Jasdan: BJP's Kunvarji Bavaliya scores surprise win against AAP Tejas Gajipara, Congress' Bholabhai Gohil comes third

Koli community leader and sitting BJP MLA Kunvarji Bavaliya defeated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Tejas Gajipara, by a margin of 16,172 votes in Jasdan, a rural constituency in Saurashtra . The results came as a surprise as the contest in Jasdan was mostly seen as a fight between six-time MLA Bavaliya and his one-time prodigy Bholabhai Gohil, who was fielded the Congress party.

Gohil, also a Koli by caste, finished a close third, winning 45,795 votes, while AAP's Gajipara won 47,636 votes. Bavaliya, a former minister, has had a strong grip over Jasdan and used to win this seat for the Congress party until he switched to BJP in 2018. Kolis, a numerically strong OBC community mainly found in Saurashtra and South Gujarat, dominate Jasdan. Since 1995, Bavaliya has won the seat for the Congress party on four occasions (1995, 1998, 2002 and 2007).

Six-time MLA Bavaliya won the seat in the 2017 elections, switched over from the Congress to the BJP in 2018, and retained the seat in the ensuing byelection.


From 1995, Bavaliya won from Jasdan as a Congress candidate four times in a row (1995, 1998, 2002 and 2007). He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009 from Rajkot seat

Against him is his former protege Bholabhai Gohil, another Koli leader, who has been fielded by the Congress. AAP has fielded Tejas Gajipara.

BJP has until now managed to win Jasdan only in by-polls, with Bhogra winning in 2009 and Bavaliya in 2018.

Jasdan assembly constituency comprises the following segments: a)Jasdan Taluka b) Gondal Taluka (Part) Villages – Dadva Hamirpara, Karmal Kotda c) Sayla Taluka (Part) of Surendranagar District Village – Ori.

Of its about 2.6 lakh voters, around one lakh belong to the Koli community, while around 60,000 are Patidars. Other Backward Class (OBC) communities (other than the Kolis), Dalits and Muslims make up the rest.