The outcome of Jasdan assembly bypoll in Gujarat, to be announced Sunday, is being keenly watched by the Congress and the ruling BJP against the backdrop of the saffron party's debacle in three core Hindi states in recent assembly elections.
The byelection has become a battle of prestige for the ruling party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The bypoll, which was held on December 20, is mainly a bipolar contest between Kunvarji Bavaliya, a state Cabinet minister of the BJP and influential leader of the Koli community from the area, and Avsar Nakiya of the Congress.
Nakiya, a Rajkot district panchayat member who had once worked closely with Bavaliya, a five-time MLA, contested the assembly election for first time in his life.
The election was necessitated after Bavaliya crossed over to the saffron party and resigned as MLA in July.
As per rules, a minister has to get himself/herself elected to the Assembly within six months of taking oath.
"Polling for Jasdan assembly seat in Rajkot district was held on December 20 with a voter turnout of 71.27 per cent", stated a release issued by Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer S. Murali Krishna.
The constituency has 2.32 lakh registered voters.
Bavaliya had won the seat on Congress ticket in 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2017.
Since the formation of Gujarat in 1960, the BJP has won this seat only once - in the by-election held in 2009 when Bavaliya vacated the seat after being elected to Lok Sabha from Rajkot.
Apart from Bavaliya and Nakiya, six other candidates are also in the fray.
The BJP recently ceded power to Congress in Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
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