NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Tribal Party floated recently by JD-U rebel Chhotubhai Vasava managed to win two seats in the Gujarat Assembly. The BTP contested in a pre-poll alliance with Congress. The JD-U had expelled Vasava after he voted for Gujarat Congress veteran Ahmed Patel during the Rajya Sabha elections in August, despite his party pledging its support to the BJP.
The tribal areas had been supporting the Congress but the BJP also managed to make some inroads. In Vadodara, BJP candidates Seema Mohile from Akota, Manisha Vakil from Vadodara City, Jitendra Sukhadia from Sayajigunj, Rajendra Trivedi from Raopura and Yogesh Patel from Manjalpur constituencies registered comfortable victories.
Of the 7 constituencies in Anand, Congress won five and BJP two. Congress retained Borsad, Anklav, Sojitra, Petlad and wrested Anand from BJP. Congress’ Kanti Parmar won from Anand. BJP retained Khambhat. NCP candidate Jayant Patel, lost in Chhota Udepur, Congress’s sitting MLA Mohan Rathwa managed to scrape through.