The BJP's candidate in Morbi, Kantilal Amrutiya, is leading by a margin of over 1,300 votes, according to the Election Commission of India data at 10am. Gujarat's Morbi hogged national headlines recently over the bridge collapse tragedy that claimed 135 lives on October 30.
According to reports, Amrutia, five-time MLA, jumped into the Macchu river to rescue people soon after the British-era suspension bridge collapsed. Days later, he was declared as the BJP's candidate in place of incumbent MLA and minister Brijesh Merja. Jayanti Patel is the Congress candidate and the AAP fielded Pankaj Ransariya.
The Morbi bridge, which is believed to have a holding capacity of 100 persons, was overcrowded when one of the two main suspension cables suddenly snapped and people fell into the river. Nine persons have been arrested for culpable homicide. Those arrested include four employees of the Oreva group that had bagged the contract to renovate and manage the Morbi suspension bridge.
Morbi is part of the politically significant Saurashtra region which banks on the Patidar votes and the opposition had tried to use the bridge collapse issue against the government. Some of the seats having high-concentration of Patidar voters in Saurashtra region are - Morbi, Tankara, Gondal, Dhoraji, Amreli, Savarkundla, Jetpur, Rajkot East, Rajkot West and Rajkot South.