Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party has strategically nominated Sonal Patel, a seasoned political stalwart and former Gujarat Mahila Congress President, to contest from the prominent Gandhinagar constituency against the incumbent MP, Union Home Minister Amit Shah of the BJP.
This strategic maneuver follows the defeat of Congress candidate CJ Chavda in the 2019 elections, where Shah emerged victorious by a substantial margin of 5.57 lakh votes.
Sonal Patel, aged 62 and professionally an architect and town planner, boasts a rich history with the Congress party. She has previously helmed its women's wing and contested the 2022 Assembly elections from Naranpura, albeit unsuccessfully against the BJP's Jitendra Patel.
Furthermore, she carries the legacy of her late father, Raman Patel, a revered Congress leader. Currently, she holds the position of Secretary at the All India Congress Committee, with responsibilities extending over Mumbai and Western Maharashtra.
The Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, among Gujarat's 26 parliamentary seats, holds significant political importance as the state's capital.
Established in 1967, it has served as a political platform for numerous prominent leaders, including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, and presently, Home Minister Amit Shah.
The inaugural Member of Parliament for this constituency was Somchandbhai Solanki from the Congress, who secured re-election in 1971 under the Congress (Organisation) banner.
However, the political landscape shifted in 1977 with Purushottam Mavalankar of the Janata Party, son of Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, the inaugural Speaker of the Lok Sabha, clinching victory.
Successors included Amrit Mohanlal Patel of the Congress in 1980, followed by IG Patel in 1984.
Since 1989, the BJP has predominantly held sway over the constituency, beginning with Shankersinh Vaghela's triumph that year.
LK Advani assumed office in 1991, followed by a notable incident in 1996 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee won but soon relinquished the seat to represent Lucknow. This led to a bye-election victory for Vijay Patel over Congress' Rajesh Khanna, the renowned film actor.
Gandhinagar's distinguished lineage of representatives, including a Prime Minister and two Home Ministers, underscores its status as one of India's most prestigious and closely-watched parliamentary constituencies.
