Gujarat polls: Meet the contestant who won Dwaraka seat for 32 years as Independent, BJP and Cong candidate

New Delhi, Nov 24: Call it his individual charisma or his ability to understand the wave, a contestant has been winning Dwaraka seat in Gujarat for the last 32 years, irrespective of which party he chose to represent or reject.

Pabubha Manek has won seven consecutive polls from Dwaraka assembly seat. He was first elected in 1990 as an independent candidate. In the next two polls (1995 and 1998) too, he won the polls without joining any party. He joined Congress in 2002 and surprisingly emerged victorious when the BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi (the then CM of Gujarat) registered a thumping victory in the state elections.

Manek then joined the BJP and won in 2007, 2012 and 2017. He is now aiming to register his eighth consecutive victory in the upcoming Gujarat poll.

According to him, people have been selecting and not electing him. "I have been winning the Dwarka seat for the last eight terms, out of which I was an independent candidate three times, a Congress candidate once and now in BJP. I have got the affection of all the communities," ANI quoted him as saying.

On asking about the entry of AAP in Gujarat polls, Pabubha Manek said that the state will not accept freebie culture and people believe here in earning their livelihood. "There is always a challenge. Freebies do not work in Gujarat. Gujaratis believe in earning their livelihood, freebies would not work here," he said.

He also confidently said that the BJP will emerge victorious in the poll. Also, he said that people are not fond of Congress.

"The youth do not want Congress. BJP is working for the development of the state which is why they want us. They see their future in us," he said.

Gujarat will vote in two phase on December 1 and 5 and the results will be announced on December 8.