Jamnagar Election Coverage - 2009

Jamnagar, will be the prime place of battle between Congress & BJP in Saurashtra.

in 2004, the BJP'S five-time MP Chandresh Patel lost by very thin margin of around 5000 votes by an Ahir leader, Vikram Madam. BJP candidate of 2004, Chandresh Patel had supported Kisan Sangh to campaign against chief minister Narendra Modi, and he had to leave party for that, fearing one more loss, the CM wooed Patel was given BJP worker's card, but not the ticket to contest.

This was the first time BJP lost her seat in Jamnagar. Jamnagar seat is dominated mainly by Leva Patel and Ahir communities, BJP's trick of proposing Ramesh Mungra will make a split between Leva and Ahir communities. Adding fuel to fire, there is internal feud in the Congress and Madam might pay the price for it.

Vikram Madam is very popular in Jamnagar City due to his social work and accessibility to people, however the BJP's dominance of Jamnagar Municipal Corporation is a major roadblock for him. BJP also controls most of the Taluka panchayat like Salaya (Congress), Dwarka, Jam-Jodhpur, Dhrol, Bhanvad, Kalavad and Khambhaliya municipalities. The Jamnagar District panchayat is also dominated by the BJP.

Vikram Madam is also facing issues within the party. for e.g. Poonam Madam (his niece) was also lobbying to get the party ticket, on the other hand, this time BJP has picked up a new comer Ramesh Mungra, Ramesh was BJP general secretary and Jamnagar district panchayat member. Hailing from powerful Leva Patel community. Ex-Deputy CM Mulu Bera, who is also current Bhanvad MLA (Ahir community) will assist Ramesh to woo Ahir votebank.

Out of around 13 lakh voters in Jamnagar, Ahirs are in a majority with 16% votes. The other are Kshatriyas (14%), Patels (14%), a majority of them being Leuva Patels), Muslims (13%) and Vaniya/Jain 10%.

Jamnagar has many new issues in this election, new things like heavy industrialisation has also thrown up issues like environmental degradation. Non-availability of sufficient water for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes is a major issue in the district. Unemployment, clashes with migratory population etc. are other emerging issues.
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http://www.halar.org/jamnagar
http://jamnagar-news.blogspot.com