Former Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Thursday expressed strong confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would secure victory in the Kadi and Visavadar by-polls, attributing voter support to the party's development work. After casting his vote, Patel told the media, “I am confident that Kadi will see more than 60% voter turnout. BJP has been winning from this seat. Looking at development, people will certainly vote for the BJP.”
Polling began at 7 a.m. for five Assembly constituencies across four states — Kadi and Visavadar in Gujarat, Nilambur in Kerala, Ludhiana West in Punjab, and Kaliganj in West Bengal. The Election Commission reported a turnout of 23.85% in Kadi and 28.15% in Visavadar by 11 a.m.
In the Visavadar seat, BJP has fielded Kirit Patel, while Congress nominated Nitin Ranpariya and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chose Gopal Italia. In Kadi, the BJP’s Rajendra Chavda faces Congress’s Ramesh Chavda, a former MLA who won in 2012, while AAP has put up Jagdish Chavda.
Results for the by-polls will be declared on June 23. Voting also took place in Punjab’s Ludhiana West, West Bengal’s Kaliganj, and Kerala’s Nilambur seat. In each constituency, the contests are witnessing triangular or multi-cornered fights involving BJP, Congress, AAP, and regional parties. The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth and peaceful polling, with all parties closely watching the voter turnout trends for hints of momentum ahead of future elections.
