Junagadh is one of the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat. Presently, the Junagadh Lok Sabha constituency comprises seven assembly segments, namely: Junagadh (BJP), Visavadar (AAP), Mangrol (BJP), Somnath (Congress), Talala (BJP), Kodinar (BJP) and Una (BJP). Voting for the Junagadh Lok Sabha seat will take place on May 7 in the third phase of General Elections 2024. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
2019 Result and 2024 Candidates
Rajesh Chudasama of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the current MP of Junagadh. He had won the 2019 Lok Sabha Election with with 547,744 votes, defeating Vansh Punjabhai Bhimabhai of the Congress.
The top contenders for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Junagadh are BJP’s Rajesh Chudasama and Hirabhai Jotva of the Congress.
Political Dynamics
‘Modi Magic’ for BJP
In Junagadh, ‘Modi Magic’ is playing out in full force, as voters get ready to give Prime Minister Modi another term in power. While there is local-level anti-incumbency against Chudasama, voters of Junagadh seem determined to vote for the BJP – since they believe that their vote is necessary to ensure PM Modi becomes Prime Minister again.
Chudasama belongs to the Koli caste, which is among the deciding voting blocs in Junagadh. The reason why the BJP has fielded Chudasama could be because it did not want to risk its support among the Kolis.
Hindutva
The impact of Hindutva is tremendous. The completion of the dream of witnessing the making of a Ram Mandir in their lifetimes has galvanised BJP’s voter base. The BJP is seen as a party concerned about Hindus’ issues and one which is trying its best to address them. This year’s Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti celebrations were perhaps the grandest Junagadh has ever witnessed.
Congress in Troubled Waters
The Congress has fielded Hirabhai Jotva in an attempt to take on the BJP in Junagadh. Jotva’s diverse career includes leadership roles in educational NGOs and a tenure as the Vice President of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee. His grassroots connection was further strengthened through his earlier stints as the Sarpanch of Supasi Village and the leader of Junagadh and Gir Somnath District Panchayat’s opposition.
Despite being a well-known face who is also flush with cash, Jotva is not being able to capture voters’ mindspace in Junagadh.
The Congress is focussing on local issues, apart from cornering the BJP on unemployment and price rise. However, the Congress’ swipes at the saffron party do not appear to be sticking.
Exits from Congress
The party ranks have also been depleted by a wave of recent exits. In March, an MLA from Saurashtra’s Manavdar and Patidar leader Arvind Ladani quit the Congress. Ladani, a first-time MLA from Manavadar seat in Junagadh district, isn’t alone in quitting the Congress. Ishwar Parmar of Dahod also stepped down as the party’s city president, claiming misbehaviour by local party members. Meanwhile, Porbandar MLA Arjun Modhwadia had also quit the party, leaving the Congress only one MLA in Saurashtra, down from the three legislators it had in the region after the 2022 assembly elections. The exits have created a sentiment that the Congress’ ship in Gujarat is sinking, further denting its prospects in nearly all constituencies.
Key Issues
Civic Development
There is a lack of civic and basic amenities in Junagadh. Overbridges in the area are in critical condition and the sewage pipeline development has failed to reach its conclusion, which hampers flow of traffic and causes pollution. People are increasingly blaming the Junagadh municipal corporation for its failure to complete the works.
Unemployment and Emigration
People in Junagadh do not have a lot of options when it comes to employment opportunities. According to on-ground reports, people are miffed at the lack of government job opportunities in the region, along with a lack of industries. Educated youth regularly emigrate abroad in search of better economic opportunities. The region is also lacking in terms of major industries which has miffed the voters who demand industrial set up in the area.
Education
Students in Junagadh often emigrate outward especially to foreign destinations as the region does not have good educational institutes. People are increasingly putting pressure on the government to take up infrastructure development in terms of educational facilities in the region, but to no avail.
Reservation
According to on-ground reports, reservation has become one of the biggest issues among the youth. They are miffed at reservation which is being given for admission into educational institutes. Students have demanded that while facilities should be subsidised, including accommodation, food, books, etc, reservation must be removed in order to ensure a standard requirement of admission for all.
Farmers’ issues
Farming of groundnuts is a major occupation in Junagadh. Farmers in the area, however, have not been able to reach their potential and there are reports of agricultural distress in the region. According to on-ground reports, farmers have demanded greater MSP for their produce to offset the cost of crop failures and repay old debt. Farmers are also unable to claim subsidies on seeds and fertilizers due to administrative issues and corruption. Moreover, they are also scared of their lands being taken away by lenders and banks in instances of crop failure.
Inflation
Inflation is a major issue in Junagadh with women being the most affected. The sharp rise in prices of common, everyday goods is pinching the voters and women have demanded that their budgets for kitchen needs must come down substantially.
Corruption
People in Junagadh have been left feeling disappointed and helpless in the face of rampant corruption at the local administrative level. People see the continuous delays in various development projects as a by-product of rampant corruption. The Junagadh Municipal Corporation is under extreme fire for not engaging in any constructive work which would improve the state of civic infrastructure in Junagadh.
Infrastructure Development
Coastal Highway
The coasts of Gujarat have witnessed many new projects based on the Sagar Mala Scheme. Apart from Junagadh, the new Coastal Highway is going to pass through many districts of Porbandar, Jamnagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Morbi to Central and South Gujarat which will strengthen the connectivity of the entire coastline of Gujarat.
Fishing port at Madhwad
The project involves the construction of a fishing harbour with a capacity of anchoring 569 boats which includes 136 Trawlers, 10 Gillnetters and 423 IBM/OBM on 22ha of land in Madhwad, Gujarat, India. Construction on the project, spread across 22 hectares, is expected to be completed by Q4 2025.
Godown complex
In October, 2022, PM Modi had announced the construction of cold storage and godown complex in Junagadh aimed at storing excess amounts of produce.
Junagadh Sewerage Management Infrastructure Project
It is a sewage management project currently under development at a cost of USD 31.43 mn. It was started in 2020.
Railway Infrastructure
Safety measures include the elimination of unmanned level crossings and the construction of road bridges and underpasses. Passenger comfort has been prioritised through improvements in waiting rooms, retiring rooms, and the provision of digital announcement systems at key stations. The network itself is undergoing expansion, with gauge conversion projects connecting various towns and cities, along with the introduction of new lines, such as the Somnath-Kodinar line. Several significant railway projects have been successfully completed in the region, including the Pratapnagar-Dabhoi-Chanded-Kevadiya rail line, which now provides direct connectivity to the Statue of Unity.
Voter Demographics
Junagadh has a total of 16,41,528 voters. The seat has 1,46,096 (8.9%) SC voters and 27,906 (1.7%) ST voters. There are 581,101 (35.4%) urban voters and 1,060,427 (64.6%) rural voters in the constituency. The majority of voters in Junagadh are Hindus (95.1%) while 4.9% voters are Muslims.
The voter turnout on the 2019 Lok Sabha election in Junagadh was 60.7 percent.
Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
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