Godhra Election 2022: Can BJP win yet another term in this high-prestige seat?

Godhra, Gujarat Election 2022: The Godhra assembly seat has been a key seat for all the major parties in Gujarat. Godhra falls under the Panchmahal district. C K Raulji won three consecutive elections in 2007, 2012, and 2017. He won the elections for Congress in 2007 and 2012.  

In 2017, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and made his party win by a little margin of 258 votes.  

Constituency profile 

As per estimates, Godhra has a population of around 1.90 lakh people, where nearly 40 per cent of them are Muslims. Godhra has been central to Gujarat's politics since the horrific riots of 2002 where 59 karsevaks were killed. Following which, the state saw one of the worst post-Partition riots.  

Check here: Gujarat Election 2022 Phase 1 Live Updates

Contesting parties 

Godhra’s election data shows that both the key parties, BJP and Congress, have fought close battles in the past. The winning margin has been always been narrow and has never crossed 3,000 votes since 2002, as per the Election Commission of India’s data.  

The ruling party had defeated Congress in 2002 just after the fierce riots. But later, Congress defeated BJP twice in 2007 and 2012 but by a very narrow margin.  

BJP again won the seat in 2017 against Congress with a margin of only 258 votes. 

Watch: Gujarat Assembly Elections Phase 1

Key candidates 

For the 2022 elections, 10 candidates are in the fray in Godhra, five of whom are Muslims. BJP, Congress and new entrant Aam Aadmi Party have fielded Hindu candidates.  

• C.K Raulji – BJP  
• Rashmitaben Dushyantsinh Chauhan – Congress 
• Rajeshbhai Sombhai Patel – AAP 
• Hasan Shabbir Kachaba – All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen 
• Patel Mayurkumar Jashavantlal – Independent 
• Badam Mo. Said Yusuf – Independent 
• Saiyed Safikali Rashidali – Independent 
• Husnain Jakkiuddin Presswala – Independent 
• Rathod Narvarsingh Hathisinh – Praja Vijay Paksh 
• Kalandar Mohammedhanif Ahmedsaeed – Independent 

BJP candidate CK Raulji, who started as an independent candidate in the 80s, won the Godhra assembly seat twice as a Congress candidate. Later in 2017, he joined BJP and won the elections  

Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM has also fielded a candidate from Godhra this time after a stunning performance in the civic polls in 2021.