Bhavnagar City has a history where each election till date has been fought on the lines of caste. This is owing to the large majority of Koli Community in the city constituting 45% of the electorate. Congress and BJP are the only two major front runners in any election here and strong independent candidates or third fronts are mostly absent. Owing to strong unity and caste identity among the Koli community it was virtually considered impossible for a non – Koli candidate to win irrespective of their party affiliation or Public image if pitted against a member of Koli community. Thus both parties would either pit a Koli candidate or refrain from it in unison each time. Whenever this pattern was broken the the non Koli candidate has always been punished. During the 2012 Gujarat General assembly elections the Congress heavyweight and leader of opposition Shaktisinh Gohil lost in Bhavnagar Rural constituency against Koli candidate. It is due to this massive majority ...

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