Even as the BJP maintained its grip over Gujarat, its biggest loss this state Assembly election was perhaps losing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hometown, Vadnagar, to Congress.
Vadnagar is divided into two constituencies — Kheralu and Modi's home district Unjha.
Although BJP won in Kheralu, Asha Patel from the Congress broke the BJP spell and won by a margin of around 19,000 votes in Unjha, defeatingt BJP's five-time MLA Narayan Patel. In fact, in 2012, Narayan Patel had defeated Asha Patel by nearly 25,000 votes.
The reason behind the fall from great heights can be traced back to the discontentment of Patidars over demands of reservation. The Patidars, who used to be the backbone of the BJP, constitute 70 percent of Unjha's population.
The Patidars comprise 12 percent of the state’s population and hold sway over 60-odd seats.