Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Valsad constituency is one of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat. This parliamentary seat, which was earlier known as Bulsar, has an interesting fact about it.
Valsad is referred to as a 'bellwether' seat since it has a trend that whichever party wins the election here eventually forms the government at the Centre. Valsad also comprises seven Assembly segments.
Let's take a look at Valsad Lok Sabha election results since 1957:
- As we can see from 1957 to 1977, the seat was held by Congress leader Nanubhai Patel. During this time, it was the Indian National Congress which was in power at the Centre.
- In 1977, Nanubhai Patel once again won the election from this seat but this time as a Janata Dal leader. And between 1977-80, it was Janata Party's government at the Centre.
- From 1980-89, the seat was held by Congress leader Uttambhai Patel, and subsequently, there was a Congress government at the Centre.
- Then in 1989, the seat was won by Arjunbhai Patel on Janata Dal's ticket, and as the trend says, there was Janata Dal's government at the Centre.
- In 1991, the seat was again held by Uttambhai Patel. Between 1991-96, the Congress was once again in power at the Centre.
- In 1996, 1998 and 1999, Manibhai Chaudhary contested the election on the BJP's ticket, and there was an NDA government in power till 2004.
- In 2004, Congress' Kishanbhai Vestabhai Patel contested the election on a Congress ticket, and it was the 'Grand Old Party', which formed the government at the Centre. He held the seat again in 2009, similarly, the Congress ruled the country till 2014.
- In 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's KC Patel fought the election in Valsad and it was the saffron party which has been in power at the Centre since then.
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