Ahmedabad: Born on 16th March 1955 at Janada village of Jasdan taluka of Rajkot district, 63-year old Kunvarji Bavalia is Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Education and LLB by education. He was elected as MLA for 1995097, 1998-2002 and 2002-2007. He was again elected as MLA in 2017. Bavalia was elected as Lok Sabha member in 2009. He has been member of Jasdan market yard, senate member in Dr. Ambedkar University, Saurashtra University. He has been convener of Gujarat State Secondary Education Board and Principal in Adarsh Secondary school.

Details of his political track record

– In 1990, Kunvarjibhai Bavaliya contested Jasdan assembly election as Janta Dal candidate. Chimanbhai Patel led Janta Dal was ally of BJP. Kunvarjibhai secured 18.40% votes. He lost against independent candidate Bhikhalal Bhimjibhai Bhanbhaniya. Congress candidate was on third number.

– In 1995, Kunvarjibhai as Congress candidate won Jasdan seat against rival BJP candidate Arjanbhai Ramani. Kunvarjibhai secured 50.58% votes. His victory margin was 21,604 votes.

– In 1998 elections, Kunvarjibhai won Jasdan seat with margin of 13,300 votes against rival BJP candidate Bhaskarbhai Thadeshwar. Bavaliya’s victory margin was 15.98% of total votes.

– In 2002 elections, Bavaliya recieved 55.16% votes against rival BJP candidate Shivlalbhai Vekaria who got 39.22% votes. Bavaliya’s victory margin was 20,599 votes.

– In 2007 elections, Bavalia got 54.43% votes against rival BJP candidate Popatbhai Rajpara who got 32.82% votes. Bavaliya’s victory margin was 25,679 votes.

– In March 2009 Gujarat High Court granted Bavaliya anticipatory bail in a murder case and lifted stringent conditions including the ban to enter Rajkot. Bavalia had applied for anticipatory bail in a murder case in mid-December 2008 soon after his arrest by the CID(Crime) on December 1, 2008 in connection with a land scam. Bavalia allegedly forged the documents to get a resolution passed in the Amrapur gram panchayat regarding allotment of a piece of land to the Sarvajanik Education Trust,in which he was one of the trustees. While his bail application was rejected by the Sessions Court,his anticipatory bail plea in connection with a murder case of one Rahim Lohia,who had demanded a CID inquiry in the land scam,too was turned down by the Sessions Court. In December 2008, he secured a bail from the Sessions Court in the land scam,but the court barred him from entering Rajkot district.This restriction was,however, later lifted by the High Court,which also granted him anticipatory bail in connection with the murder case. In March 2009 then Gujarat Governor accepted his plea to transfer investigation in both cases to Rajkot Rural police from CID (Crime).

– In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Congress fielded Kunvarji Bavalia from Rajkot Lok Sabha seat. This seat was considered stronghold of BJP. However due to delimitation effect, the Patel voters dominated area of Morbi was excluded from Rajkot seat while minority dominated area of Wankaner was added to it. Bavalia surprised everyone by winning this Lok Sabha seat with margin of 24,735 votes. Of course, the BJP candidate was weak and new to party. There was lot of dissatisfaction over choice of BJP candidate. In Jasdan seat, Kunvarjibhai’s lead was 25,953 votes against nearest rival BJP candidate Kiran Bhalodia(Patel).

– Bavaliya resigned from Jasdan seat in 2009 after winning the Lok Sabha election from Rajkot seat.

– In later portion of 2009, Bavaliya suggested Congress party to field his daughter Bhavnaben as candidate for Jasdan assembly by-poll. Congress succumbed to Bavaliya’s demand. Dr. Bharat Boghra, a former election office incharge of Bavaliya left Congress and became BJP candidate. Boghra belongs to Patel community which is second most powerful group of voters in Jasdan seat. Boghra secured good number of Patel votes and also other votes through his Congress connection. A local Koli leader of BJP Bhupat Dabhi ‘revolted’ against party and contested as independent. He effectively splitted Koli votes. His entire campaign was focused on Koli votes. BJP’s Koli leader Parshottam Solanki had campaigned in this by-poll not for BJP’s Patel candidate Boghra but for rebel BJP candidate Dabhi who was from Koli community. Dabhi snatched away 10,000 Koli votes. BJP candidate Boghra secured Patel votes and also snatched conventional Congress supporting votes through his own connections protesting against family oriented politics of Bavaliya. Then Chief Minister Narendra Modi had called a meeting of leading people from Jasdan at his bungalow in Gandhinagar and asked them that BJP wanted to serve the area of Jasdan but locals out there had not left any window open. All local bodies were occupied by Congress. Outgoing MLA and MP too were from Congress. BJP wanted Jasdan to develop but that was possible only if locals out there open at least one window to serve. When rest of Gujarat was enjoying fruits of development, Jasdan should not be left out. Victory of BJP in Jasdan by-poll was first in history.

– In January 2010, Bavaliya suggested Congress to field his sister Niratben Dhoriya as candidate for Chotila assembly by-poll. There was a thought in Congress that the ticket should actually be given to Shamjibhai Chauhan. But Kunvarjibhai’s wish prevailed. Niratben was not from Chotila. She was even a voter registered in Jasdan seat. She was defeated by rival BJP candidate. Shamjibhai whom Congress was initially considering as party candidate stood second as rebel independent. Niratben stood third.

– In December 2011, Kunvarjibhai was made a member of election committee of party.

– In 2012 elections, Congress candidate Bholabhai Gohel got 78,055 votes against rival BJP candidate and sitting MLA Dr. Bharatbhai Boghra who got 67,208 votes. Winning margin for Bholabhai was 10,847 votes or 6.60%.

– In 2012 elections, Kunvarjibhai contested from Botad assembly seat as Congress candidate. He was sitting member of parliament from Rajkot at that time. Bavaliya lost against BJP candidate Thakarshibhai Maniya by margin of 10,005 votes.

– In June 2013, Kunvarji Bavaliya called a meeting of Other Backward Class(OBC) leaders of Congress in Rajkot. Jethalal Jora, Chandrika Chudasama, Bholabhai Gohel were among those who were said to have attended the meeting from Saurashtra region.

– In June 2013, a group of Koli leaders from Gujarat Congress led by Bavaliya met with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi over ‘injustice’ to community in Congress. Surendranagar Lok Sabha MP Somabhai patel, Govind Bavaliya, Sharad Talsaniya, Pravin Sorani, Karsan Vegad, Haresh Jadav were among those with Bavaliya. Bavaliya was upset with no induction into union ministry in cabinet reshuffle. Congress had three MPs from Saurashtra in those days. Bavaliya was one, Somabhai and Vikram Madam were two others. Bavaliya’s image was down due to loss of Jasdan by-poll(his daughter as candidate), Chotila by-poll(his sister as candidate) and Botad election(he himself as candidate). Somabhai Patel’s Surendranagar Lok Sabha seat’s all assembly seats were also won by BJP in those days. Somabhai’s son had lost assembly by-poll. Vitthal Radadia had already left Congress.

– In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP won all 26 Lok Sabha seats. People of Gujarat voted for Gujarati Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However there were 17 assembly seat areas where Congress was ahead of BJP. Jasdan was one such area. As son of soil Kunvarji Bavaliya was Lok Sabha candidate for Rajkot seat, Jasdan and particularly Koli votes in Jasdan seat area. Kunvarji was leading in Jasdan seat with margin of 13,630 votes against his rival BJP candidate Mohanbhai Kundariya. BJP had secured 56,754 votes against which Bavaliya as Congress candidate had secured 70,384 votes.

– In March 2015, Bavaliya was made Vice President of Gujarat Congress in reshuffle done by party chief Sonia Gandhi.

– In September 2016, Bavaliya made his displeasure with Congress party public by complaining about no appointment of Koli leaders at Zone level.

– On August 25, 2017 Kunvarji Bavaliya was appointed working president of Gujarat Congress along with Tushar Chaudhary, Paresh Dhanani and Karsandas Soneri. Bavaliya was assigned Saurashtra/Kutch zone. This was for the second time that he has been appointed working president in the State.

– In April 2017 there were speculations that Bavaliya would join BJP in presence of PM Narendra Modi at Modi’s public meeting in Jasdan. Bavaliya however issued a statement and denied such move.

– In 2017 December, Kunvarjibhai won Jasdan seat with margin of 9277 votes. Percentage wise, the margin was 5.57% of total valid votes. Bavaliya secured 49.90% votes against BJP candidate Boghara who got 44.41% votes.

– In January 2018, Kunvarjibhai said he had no problem with party’s decision to make Patidar MLA Paresh Dhanani a leader of opposition. Bavaliya said he had no problem but his community was annoyed and was of opinion that he should get better position in party as he was no president of All India Koli community outfit the post earlier held by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind. He said that Gujarat chapter chief of Koli organization had convened a meeting of community in Ahmedabad over injustice to Koli leaders but he was not going to attend it. His supporter Ishwar Bharatid a warned that if Bavaliya was ignored by party, it would pay price in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

– In June 2018, Bavaliya complained that senior leaders were sidelines in Congress party. He called a meeting of his supporters and Koli community members from two talukas that make his constituency area. Bavaliya also went to Delhi and met Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

– In June 2018, Bavaliya skipped a meeting of Congress MLAs called by State party incharge Rajiv Satav as he was in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.

– In July 2018, he resigned from Congress party and also fro the post of MLA. He joined BJP and took oath as Cabinet minister.

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