title: Somabhai Gandalal Koli Patel
text: Somabhai Gandalal Koli Patel (born 10 August 1940) is an Indian politician and a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Surendranagar constituency of Gujarat and is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Patel was arrested during the Emergency in 1977–78.
  
  Somabhai Patel got the MLA ticket for the first time from the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1985, at that time Patel was a big character. Patel had turned the Koli caste, which was considered the backbone of the Congress, towards the Bharatiya Janata Party, as well as other OBC castes towards the Bharatiya Janata Party, due to which the Congress's Kham theory was in vain.
  
  Positions held 
  List of some positions
   1980–89 President, BJP, Taluka Viramgam, Gujarat
   1984–89 Vice Chairman, Municipality, Viramgam, Gujarat Member, Gujarat
   1989 Elected to 9th Lok Sabha
   1990 Member, Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Surface Transport
   1991 Re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
   Elected to 14th Lok Sabha in 2004 (3rd term), Member of Committee on Foreign Affairs, Members of Committee on Absence of Members from the House Meeting
   Member, Committee on Absence of Members from the House Meeting since August 7, 2006
  
  Other 
   1997–99 President of State Transport, Gujarat
   1985–90 Member, Joint Secretary of International Koli Samaj and Lions Club, Viramgam, Gujarat as well as Vice President of Gujarat State Koli Samaj
  
  References
  
  External links
   Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website
  
  Indian National Congress politicians
  Living people
  India MPs 2004–2009
  1940 births
  Lok Sabha members from Gujarat
  India MPs 1989–1991
  India MPs 1991–1996
  India MPs 2009–2014