What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Speaking to TNI during the poll campaign, Vikram Madam admitted to the fact that the AAP could diminish his chances of winning. He said, “AAP has no role in this election except cutting into Congress’ vote share. And I’m concerned how much of my vote share will be cut. Either they (AAP) will totally fail or they will take me down along with them. That’s what I’m watching out for.”
For two-time Lok Sabha MP, one time MLA from Jamnagar and sitting MLA from Khambalia constituency – Vikram Madam, the election results on Friday culminated in the biggest disappointment of his political career. It was not as if Madam was taken by surprise. He has been dreading his political downfall ever since AAP propped up a candidate against him.
It was not usual affair for the veteran Congress leader this time around in Gujarat assembly elections. The new entrant AAP posed a serious threat to Congress’ prospects in Khambalia constituency. AAP candidate and Chief Ministerial face Isudan Gadhvi had filed his nomination from this assembly constituency. Pertinently, Isudan Gadhvi is a registered voter in Ghatlodia assembly seat which is the home turf of CM Bhupendra Patel.
Speaking to TNI during the poll campaign, Vikram Madam admitted to the fact that the AAP could diminish his chances of winning. He said, “AAP has no role in this election except cutting into Congress’ vote share. And I’m concerned how much of my vote share will be cut. Either they (AAP) will totally fail or they will take me down along with them. That’s what I’m watching out for.”
His apprehensions came true. At the end of the counting day, BJP’s Mulubhai Bera won the election defeating AAP’s Isudan Gadhvi by a margin of 18,745 votes. AAP’s CM face Isudan Gadhvi secured 59,089 votes in his favor. 31.1 percent of votes were polled in favor of AAP in Khambalia. Not only did AAP cut into Congress’ votes, they outperformed them, much to the surprise of Congress sitting MLA Vikram Madam.
During the 2017 Assembly polls, Vikram Madam had won Khambalia assembly with 64,645 votes in favor of him. He owned a lion’s share of 50.19 percent of the total votes. But this time around, Vikrambhai Madam came third after AAP’s Isudan Gadhvi, scoring only 44,526 votes in his favor and a paltry vote share of 23.53 percent – less than half of what he held during 2017 elections.
Failing to seize victory, AAP won five seats enough to fulfill conditions to be deemed as a ‘national party’. Although a smaller number of seats, AAP secured a decent 12.92 percent of the vote in the Gujarat assembly elections. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said, “I am thankful to the people of Gujarat for helping us attain the status of national party. Very few parties enjoy the status and now we are one of them. Ours is only a 10-year-old party”.
