Jignesh Mevani who is contyesting as an independent candidate from Banaskantha district’s Vadgam seat with the supporty of Congress and a host of other fringe opposition parties is leading in the early trends. Mevani had hit headlines earlier this year for emerging as a popular Dalit leader of Gujarat after the shocking incident of flogging of Dalit in Gujarat’s Una town. Mevani was being aggressively wooed by the Congress party and had held several rounds of discussions with the party’s top leadership including Congress president Rahul Gandhi. However, while Mevani had announced his support for the Congress he had declined the party’s offer of contesting as its candidate. The Congress had decided to not field its sitting legislator from the Vadgam seat – Manibhai Vaghela – in this election and asked him to support Mevani’s candidature instead. Mevani’s influence among the Dalits is expected to help the Congress gain incremental gains across the Banaskantha district