Palanpur : For the first time in nearly a decade, Congress has secured a Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat. In a closely contested race, Congress candidate Genniben Thakor defeated BJP's Rekhaben Chaudhary in Banaskantha by a margin of 23,839 votes. This victory prevented the BJP from sweeping all 26 seats in the state.
The Banaskantha seat witnessed intense competition as vote counting began on Tuesday morning. Both parties alternated in the lead throughout the day. Ultimately, Genniben Thakor garnered a total of 6,31,355 votes, while Rekhaben Chaudhary received 6,07,516 votes.
In response to the victory, the Congress State President extended congratulations to Genniben Thakor via his social media handle. He commended her for securing Congress's first seat in Gujarat, noting the victory margin of over 23,000 votes.
This election cycle, the BJP replaced sitting MP Parbat Patel with Rekha Chaudhary, the daughter-in-law of Banas Dairy founder Galba Chaudhary. Congress fielded Vav assembly seat MLA Genniben Thakor. The Banaskantha seat, predominantly influenced by the Chaudhary and Thakor communities, was anticipated to be a battleground for both parties. The high voter turnout of 69.62 percent on May 7 underscored the competitive nature of the election.
Genniben Thakor's win represents a significant achievement for Congress in Gujarat, breaking the BJP's stronghold and signaling a potential shift in the state's political landscape.
