Ahmedabad to decide fate of three Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat

The Sabarmati river divides the city of Ahmedabad into east and west parts.

But when it comes to Lok Sabha elections, two seats of Ahmedabad (Ahmedabad east and Ahmedabad west )are defined in a manner that makes lots of confusion, thanks to delimitation exercise.

Take an example of Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s Maninagar assembly seat which is geographically located in Ahmedabad’s eastern part. But as new delimitation is in effect, the voters in Manianagar will be voting for Ahmedabad west seat, so as Asarwa, Dariapur, Jamalpur-Khadia, Danilimda and Amraiwadi areas that are geographically located in east Ahmedabad but fall under Ahmedabad west seat as per the new delimitation.

In fact, Ahmedabd west seat includes just one genuine and real western Ahmedabad area and that is Ellisbridge. Interestingly, all the other areas of Ahmedabad’s western part such as Ghatlodiya, Vejalpur, Naranpura and Sabarmati fall under Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency according to new delimitation.

Till last Lok Sabha elections, Ahmedabad’s assembly areas were divided in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituencies but this election, Ahmedabad has got Ahmedabad east and Ahmedabad west seats. Moreover major part of western Ahmedabad has been put under Gandhinagar seat. Thus Ahmedabad will decide the fate of three Lok Sabha seats.

Ahmedabad’s areas(Ghatlodiya, Vejalpur, Naranpura and Sabarmati) under Gandhinagar seat are known for their overwhelming support to the BJP.

Ahmedabad east seat has become safer for the BJP as the Muslim populated areas that have kept the BJP candidate on toes in previous polls such as Kalupur, Rakhial, Shaherkotda, Dariapur and Jamalpur are now part of Ahmedabad west seat. Vatva, Nikol, Bapunagar, Thakkarbapa Nagar, Naroda, Gandhinagar South and Dehgam assembly areas fall under Ahmedabad east seat.

Ahmedabad west seat has sizable number of BJP supporting voters in Ellisbridge, Amraiwadi, Asarwa and Maninagar assembly segments to counter lesser Congress votes that are likely to come from the minority populated areas of Dariapur, Jamalpur and Danilimda.