Ahmedabad, March 15 The OBC vote, combined with the dominance of the Patidar community, shapes electoral politics in the Umreth assembly constituency in the Anand district of Gujarat, where a by-election will be held on April 23.
The constituency has been won by four different parties, including the Congress and BJP, since 1972, with the saffron party retaining the seat in two consecutive elections in the past.
The OBC vote, particularly from the Koli and Thakor communities, which dominate several areas, is significant.
The seat fell vacant following the death of sitting BJP MLA Govind Parmar earlier this month.
The Umreth segment is part of the Anand Lok Sabha constituency.
The notification for the by-election will be published on March 30, and nomination papers can be filed by April 6. The last day for withdrawing nominations is April 9, as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission. Votes will be counted on May 4.
Parmar, who had won four times as an MLA in 1995, 1998, 2017, and 2022, first entered the assembly 30 years ago as an Independent MLA from the Sarsa seat in the Anand district. Parmar retained the constituency in the 1998 assembly elections, this time contesting on a Congress ticket.
He shifted to the BJP after losing subsequent elections.
The Sarsa seat was merged into the Umreth assembly constituency in 2008. In the 2012 elections, Parmar faced defeat. He won the seat in the 2017 and 2022 elections on a BJP ticket.
In 2022, Parmar defeated his nearest rival, Jayantbhai Patel Boskey of NCP.