News Analysis India

Tag: Gujarat Assembly polls

  • Gujarat: Bhupendra Patel to take oath as CM on Monday, PM Modi to attend 

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhupendra Patel will take oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a second straight term in Gandhinagar on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries, BJP leaders said on Sunday.

    Patel will be administered the oath as the 18th chief minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat at a function to be held at the Helipad Ground near the new Secretariat in Gandhinagar at 2 PM.

    Besides the prime minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers of other BJP-ruled states are set to attend the swearing-in ceremony, BJP sources said.

    Along with Patel, some new ministers are also expected to take the oath.

    In the just-concluded Gujarat Assembly elections, counting for which was held on December 8, the BJP won a seventh straight term by winning record 156 seats in the 182-member House. The Congress won 17 constituencies and AAP 5.

    Patel, 60, resigned as chief minister along with his entire cabinet on Friday to pave the way for the formation of a new government following the election results.

    He was elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party on Saturday. He met the governor and staked the claim to form the next government.

    Patel won the Ghatlodia seat with the highest margin of 1.92 lakh votes in the elections. A low-profile BJP leader and the first from the Kadva Patidar sub-group to become CM, Patel replaced Vijay Rupani in September 2021.

    Meanwhile, hectic consultations are going on in BJP for picking ministerial candidates against the backdrop of the historic mandate given the party will have to walk the tightrope of balancing caste and regional representations, sources said.

    MLAs Kanu Desai, Raghavji Patel, Rushikesh Patel, Harsh Sanghavi, Shankar Chaudhary, Purnesh Modi, Manisha Vakil, Ramanlal Vora and Raman Patkar are among those expected to be inducted in the ministry, they added.

    AHMEDABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhupendra Patel will take oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a second straight term in Gandhinagar on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries, BJP leaders said on Sunday.

    Patel will be administered the oath as the 18th chief minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat at a function to be held at the Helipad Ground near the new Secretariat in Gandhinagar at 2 PM.

    Besides the prime minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers of other BJP-ruled states are set to attend the swearing-in ceremony, BJP sources said.

    Along with Patel, some new ministers are also expected to take the oath.

    In the just-concluded Gujarat Assembly elections, counting for which was held on December 8, the BJP won a seventh straight term by winning record 156 seats in the 182-member House. The Congress won 17 constituencies and AAP 5.

    Patel, 60, resigned as chief minister along with his entire cabinet on Friday to pave the way for the formation of a new government following the election results.

    He was elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party on Saturday. He met the governor and staked the claim to form the next government.

    Patel won the Ghatlodia seat with the highest margin of 1.92 lakh votes in the elections. A low-profile BJP leader and the first from the Kadva Patidar sub-group to become CM, Patel replaced Vijay Rupani in September 2021.

    Meanwhile, hectic consultations are going on in BJP for picking ministerial candidates against the backdrop of the historic mandate given the party will have to walk the tightrope of balancing caste and regional representations, sources said.

    MLAs Kanu Desai, Raghavji Patel, Rushikesh Patel, Harsh Sanghavi, Shankar Chaudhary, Purnesh Modi, Manisha Vakil, Ramanlal Vora and Raman Patkar are among those expected to be inducted in the ministry, they added.

  • Phase 1 of Gujarat Assembly polls: BJP, Congress & AAP vie for 48 seats in Saurashtra zone

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: The battle for Saurashtra is getting tougher. The Morbi Bridge collapse on October 30 has disturbed the equations in BJP’s Saurashtra Mission. But the party wants towave the saffron flag on 48 seats of Saurashtra at any cost. Perhaps that is why after the Morbi tragedy, the BJP dropped the sitting MLA from Morbi, Brijesh Merja.

    The party fielded Talala MLA Bhagwan Barad in Gir Somnath shortly after he resigned from the Congress. Gir Somnath is a constituency where the Congress party has a strong presence.

    Bhagwan Barad is not the only Congress MLA from Saurashtra who deserted the party  in the past five years. The Congress has lost 10 MLAs including Visavadar MLA Harshad Ribadia.

    In the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections, 48 seats in Saurashtra zone will go to the polls on December 1. 

    Saurashtra is considered pivotal in Gujarat politics. The political parties had campaigned vigorously for the past two months. Due to the pro-BJP tilt of Patidar voters in Saurashtra, the BJP’s seats have steadily increased over the last two and a half decades. Still, amid the Patidar reservation movement, BJP suffered a loss in 2017 assembly. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given importance to Saurashtra in his Gujarat tour to regain the seats. The Congress undertook a tacit campaign in Saurashtra assembly segments during the last three months. The Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has held the most rallys in Saurashtra.

    The results from Saurashtra between 2002 and 2012 shows BJP gaining strength , with Patidars showing a pro-BJP stance. But in 2017, BJP managed to retain power but suffered a massive loss in Saurashtra due to the Patidar reservation movement as well as farmers discontent in rural Saurashtra, where the Congress gained more ground. In three districts of Saurashtra, namely Amreli, Morbi, and Girsomanath, BJP lost all the seats, while in Junagadh, and Porbandar districts, BJP got one seat each. 

    According to 2017 results, out of a total of 48 seats in Saurashtra, 28 seats were won by Congress while BJP has to be content with 19 seats.

    In a bid to regain lost ground, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallied in Saurashtra. He also launched several developments works in Jamnagar before the model code of conduct came into force.

    It is apparently going to be tough for the Congress this time around particularly in the absence of several leaders who had deserted the party. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would also make its presence felt in this election. 

    There’s a saying that the to power in Gujarat passes through Saurashtra. The political parties, particularly the BJP has left no stone unturned to wrest as many seats as possible in the region.

    In the 2017 election, out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.

    The results: BJP won 1 seat while Congress 4 in Surendranagar. In Morbi, BJP won 3, while in Rajkot, BJP won 6 and the Congress 2. In Rajkot, BJP pocketed 6 seats while the Congress 2. In Jamnagar, BJP won in 2 and the Congress in 3 seats. In Dwarka, BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. In Porbandar, BJP won 1 while others won 1. In Junagadh, BJP could win only 1 seat while the Congress won 4. In Gir Somnath, Congress won all 4 seats. In Amreli, Congress won all 5 seats. In Bhavnagar BJP won 6 while the Congress had to be content with 1 seat. In Botad BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. Out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.

    AHMEDABAD: The battle for Saurashtra is getting tougher. The Morbi Bridge collapse on October 30 has disturbed the equations in BJP’s Saurashtra Mission. But the party wants to
    wave the saffron flag on 48 seats of Saurashtra at any cost. Perhaps that is why after the Morbi tragedy, the BJP dropped the sitting MLA from Morbi, Brijesh Merja.

    The party fielded Talala MLA Bhagwan Barad in Gir Somnath shortly after he resigned from the Congress. Gir Somnath is a constituency where the Congress party has a strong presence.

    Bhagwan Barad is not the only Congress MLA from Saurashtra who deserted the party  in the past five years. The Congress has lost 10 MLAs including Visavadar MLA Harshad Ribadia.

    In the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections, 48 seats in Saurashtra zone will go to the polls on December 1. 

    Saurashtra is considered pivotal in Gujarat politics. The political parties had campaigned vigorously for the past two months. Due to the pro-BJP tilt of Patidar voters in Saurashtra, the BJP’s seats have steadily increased over the last two and a half decades. Still, amid the Patidar reservation movement, BJP suffered a loss in 2017 assembly. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given importance to Saurashtra in his Gujarat tour to regain the seats. The Congress undertook a tacit campaign in Saurashtra assembly segments during the last three months. The Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has held the most rallys in Saurashtra.

    The results from Saurashtra between 2002 and 2012 shows BJP gaining strength , with Patidars showing a pro-BJP stance. But in 2017, BJP managed to retain power but suffered a massive loss in Saurashtra due to the Patidar reservation movement as well as farmers discontent in rural Saurashtra, where the Congress gained more ground. In three districts of Saurashtra, namely Amreli, Morbi, and Girsomanath, BJP lost all the seats, while in Junagadh, and Porbandar districts, BJP got one seat each. 

    According to 2017 results, out of a total of 48 seats in Saurashtra, 28 seats were won by Congress while BJP has to be content with 19 seats.

    In a bid to regain lost ground, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallied in Saurashtra. He also launched several developments works in Jamnagar before the model code of conduct came into force.

    It is apparently going to be tough for the Congress this time around particularly in the absence of several leaders who had deserted the party. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would also make its presence felt in this election. 

    There’s a saying that the to power in Gujarat passes through Saurashtra. The political parties, particularly the BJP has left no stone unturned to wrest as many seats as possible in the region.

    In the 2017 election, out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.

    The results: BJP won 1 seat while Congress 4 in Surendranagar. In Morbi, BJP won 3, while in Rajkot, BJP won 6 and the Congress 2. In Rajkot, BJP pocketed 6 seats while the Congress 2. In Jamnagar, BJP won in 2 and the Congress in 3 seats. In Dwarka, BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. In Porbandar, BJP won 1 while others won 1. In Junagadh, BJP could win only 1 seat while the Congress won 4. In Gir Somnath, Congress won all 4 seats. In Amreli, Congress won all 5 seats. In Bhavnagar BJP won 6 while the Congress had to be content with 1 seat. In Botad BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. Out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.

  • Gujarat polls: Only nine percent women candidates in fray

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: Only 9 percent of women candidates are in the fray for the Gujarat Assembly polls. However, this is 2 percent higher than in 2017.

    The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls in two phases on December 1 and 5, while the counting of votes will be taken up on December 5.

    Incidentally, women’s participation has gone up as compared to the 2017 Assembly polls. This time, a total of 138 (9 percent) female candidates are contesting the elections, as compared to 122 (7 percent) in 2017, a report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Tuesday.

    BJP has fielded 9 percent women candidates, whereas Congress and AAP have fielded 7 percent and 4 percent women candidates respectively in Gujarat polls.

    As per the report, 997 (62 percent) candidates have declared their educational qualification to be between 5th and 12th standard, while 449 (28 percent) candidates have declared having an educational qualification of graduate or above.

    The report said that 48 candidates are Diploma holders and 85 candidates have declared themselves to be just literate while 42 candidates are illiterate.

    Similarly, 561 (35 percent) candidates have declared their age to be between 25 and 40 years, while 861 (53 percent) candidates are aged between 41 and 60 years.

    There are 197 (12 percent) candidates who have declared their age to be between 61 and 80 years, while two candidates are aged above 80 years.

    NEW DELHI: Only 9 percent of women candidates are in the fray for the Gujarat Assembly polls. However, this is 2 percent higher than in 2017.

    The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls in two phases on December 1 and 5, while the counting of votes will be taken up on December 5.

    Incidentally, women’s participation has gone up as compared to the 2017 Assembly polls. This time, a total of 138 (9 percent) female candidates are contesting the elections, as compared to 122 (7 percent) in 2017, a report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Tuesday.

    BJP has fielded 9 percent women candidates, whereas Congress and AAP have fielded 7 percent and 4 percent women candidates respectively in Gujarat polls.

    As per the report, 997 (62 percent) candidates have declared their educational qualification to be between 5th and 12th standard, while 449 (28 percent) candidates have declared having an educational qualification of graduate or above.

    The report said that 48 candidates are Diploma holders and 85 candidates have declared themselves to be just literate while 42 candidates are illiterate.

    Similarly, 561 (35 percent) candidates have declared their age to be between 25 and 40 years, while 861 (53 percent) candidates are aged between 41 and 60 years.

    There are 197 (12 percent) candidates who have declared their age to be between 61 and 80 years, while two candidates are aged above 80 years.

  • State’s responsibility to check anti-national forces: BJP chief Nadda

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD/ VADODARA: BJP president JP Nadda on Sunday said like “antibodies keep a check on bad cells”, it is the government’s responsibility to maintain a vigil on anti-national forces, as he batted for an anti-radicalisation cell announced by his party in its Gujarat assembly polls manifesto.

    Releasing the BJP manifesto for the polls, Nadda on Saturday announced setting up the cell to identify and eliminate potential threats and sleeper cells of terrorist organisations and anti-India forces.

    In an interview, he said it is the State’s responsibility to keep a check on forces working against the country and society.

    “Like antibodies in the human body, keep a check on bad cells. It is the State’s responsibility to keep a check on anti-national cells in the country. Then there are some cells that work underground so this anti-radicalisation cell is required to keep a check on such cells,” said the chief of the BJP, which has been in power in Gujarat for nearly 25 years.

    On the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which the BJP has promised in several assembly polls, including for the recently held Himachal Pradesh elections and now for Gujarat, Nadda said it is a “national issue” for the party and it is committed to it.

    “The country’s resources and its responsibilities are equal for all. Therefore, the UCC is a welcome step. We would like to implement the UCC in as many states as possible,” he said.

    Asked about the BJP not fielding a Muslim candidate in Gujarat, Nadda said his party believes in ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’ (with all and development for all).

    “Late Dr (APJ) Abdul Kalam became the President (of India) with the BJP’s support, then the (Narendra) Modi government at the Centre appointed Muslim governors as well. So, we follow the principle of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’, and tickets for elections are given purely based on winnability,” he said.

    On the BJP announcing several “freebies” in its manifesto for the Gujarat polls like its rivals did, Nadda said one should “distinguish between empowerment and allurement”.

    “Both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress know they are not coming to power in Gujarat. Therefore, they can announce freebies without accounting for the funds and budget needed for them,” the BJP chief said.

    ALSO READ | Persistent rebellion in many north Gujarat seats may dent saffron prospects

    “While our programmes are welfare measures for empowering the poor and the needy. It is not like freebies, which are free for all, they are specifically meant for a segment of the population,” he said.

    He said that the BJP’s welfare programmes are for the “empowerment” of the poor and the needy.

    This has resulted in them contributing to the economy, Nadda asserted.

    Nadda, who has been holding election rallies and roadshows across Gujarat, is confident of a massive victory for the BJP in the state assembly polls.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat elections: BJP learns 2017 lessons, focuses on candidates, aims at assertive returns

    “Prime Minister Narendra Modi resides in the hearts of the people of Gujarat and they will again repose their faith in the BJP and the party will win another term,” he asserted.

    The BJP is eyeing to win Gujarat for a record seventh time. Besides the Congress, the party has a new challenger in the form of the Aam Aadmi Party. The state will see two-phase assembly polls on December 1 and 5, while votes will be counted on December 8.

    AHMEDABAD/ VADODARA: BJP president JP Nadda on Sunday said like “antibodies keep a check on bad cells”, it is the government’s responsibility to maintain a vigil on anti-national forces, as he batted for an anti-radicalisation cell announced by his party in its Gujarat assembly polls manifesto.

    Releasing the BJP manifesto for the polls, Nadda on Saturday announced setting up the cell to identify and eliminate potential threats and sleeper cells of terrorist organisations and anti-India forces.

    In an interview, he said it is the State’s responsibility to keep a check on forces working against the country and society.

    “Like antibodies in the human body, keep a check on bad cells. It is the State’s responsibility to keep a check on anti-national cells in the country. Then there are some cells that work underground so this anti-radicalisation cell is required to keep a check on such cells,” said the chief of the BJP, which has been in power in Gujarat for nearly 25 years.

    On the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which the BJP has promised in several assembly polls, including for the recently held Himachal Pradesh elections and now for Gujarat, Nadda said it is a “national issue” for the party and it is committed to it.

    “The country’s resources and its responsibilities are equal for all. Therefore, the UCC is a welcome step. We would like to implement the UCC in as many states as possible,” he said.

    Asked about the BJP not fielding a Muslim candidate in Gujarat, Nadda said his party believes in ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’ (with all and development for all).

    “Late Dr (APJ) Abdul Kalam became the President (of India) with the BJP’s support, then the (Narendra) Modi government at the Centre appointed Muslim governors as well. So, we follow the principle of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’, and tickets for elections are given purely based on winnability,” he said.

    On the BJP announcing several “freebies” in its manifesto for the Gujarat polls like its rivals did, Nadda said one should “distinguish between empowerment and allurement”.

    “Both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress know they are not coming to power in Gujarat. Therefore, they can announce freebies without accounting for the funds and budget needed for them,” the BJP chief said.

    ALSO READ | Persistent rebellion in many north Gujarat seats may dent saffron prospects

    “While our programmes are welfare measures for empowering the poor and the needy. It is not like freebies, which are free for all, they are specifically meant for a segment of the population,” he said.

    He said that the BJP’s welfare programmes are for the “empowerment” of the poor and the needy.

    This has resulted in them contributing to the economy, Nadda asserted.

    Nadda, who has been holding election rallies and roadshows across Gujarat, is confident of a massive victory for the BJP in the state assembly polls.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat elections: BJP learns 2017 lessons, focuses on candidates, aims at assertive returns

    “Prime Minister Narendra Modi resides in the hearts of the people of Gujarat and they will again repose their faith in the BJP and the party will win another term,” he asserted.

    The BJP is eyeing to win Gujarat for a record seventh time. Besides the Congress, the party has a new challenger in the form of the Aam Aadmi Party. The state will see two-phase assembly polls on December 1 and 5, while votes will be counted on December 8.

  • Trust in the KHAP: How caste equations are at the heart of the 2022 Gujarat elections   

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: Many political observers have been saying that the BJP has made caste-based politics and political parties irrelevant in elections in India. But caste and community remain at the heart of the Assembly polls in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state.

    Such is the care being shown that both the BJP and Congress have done their utmost to ensure caste equations are maintained, fielding candidates from the same community in 57 out of the 142 unreserved seats in the state. The remaining forty seats going to the polls are reserved  – 13 for the Scheduled Caste and 27 for the Scheduled Tribe.

    The emergence of various caste-based social movements — including the Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel, the OBC movement led by Alpesh Thakur and the Dalit agitation led by Jignesh Mevani, presently with the Congress — have played their part in ensuring that due emphasis is being paid in this direction.

    These agitations caused a lot of grief to the ruling BJP and brought down their numbers to under 100 seats in 2017. The BJP won 99 seats in those elections, while Congress numbers rose to 77 seats, proof as far as most experts were concerned that these agitations played their part in shoring up the Congress performance.

    Interestingly, the number of seats allocated to the Patidars by the BJP this time around is even more than that in 2017 underlining the importance being paid to the caste arithmetic by the ruling party. In 2017, the Patidars contested from 34 seats on BJP tickets. This time those numbers have risen to 45.

    ALSO READ | CM Bhupendra Patel Interview: ‘BJP has no challenger in Gujarat election’

    And if further proof was needed, it can be found in the number of OBC candidates the ruling party has fielded. Their numbers have gone up from 39 in 2017 to as many as 59 now.

    The OBCs and Patidars in that order in fact make up the majority of candidates in the list of both the BJP and Congress. 

    Breaking down the numbers further, in 2022, there are 28 seats where candidates from the OBC community are contesting against each other. The Patidars, meanwhile, are taking each other on in 25 seats, while 12 seats will witness a BJP-Congress fight involving the Thakors from the OBC community.

    When it comes to other communities, candidates from the Koli community (OBCs) are fighting it out in 10 seats, while two seats will see Kshatriyas (Rajputs) slug it out among themselves. Pitted against each other in two seats each also are candidates from the Ahir, Mehar and Chaudhary communities. Jain candidates from the BJP and Congress are locked in combat in one seat. Brahmin candidates from BJP and Congress are vying to be the MLA from another.

    ALSO READ | ‘Fund-starved’: Congress leaders shortchanged by own party in Gujarat

    The added emphasis on caste and community within the ruling party in the 2022 elections has also been triggered by the fact that leaders of various community movements have switched sides and joined the BJP. The Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel, who fought against the BJP in 2017, is now the BJP candidate from Viramgam constituency, while OBC movement leader Alpesh Thakor has also switched sides and is now contesting from Gandhinagar South as a BJP candidate.

    The emphasis on caste equations in these elections might also have a lot to do with the Congress’ Madhav Singh Solanki, the late leader who made the best use of caste equations in Gujarat.

    In 1980, Solanki came up with the KHAM (Kshatriya-Harijan-Adivasi-Muslim) theory based on the fact that this bloc constitutes nearly three-fourths of Gujarat’s population. Wooing the KHAMs helped the Congress win big. They clinched 142 seats in 1980 and 149 seats in 1985, a record that the BJP has been trying to break for the last 27 years.

    This time the BJP has tried to conjure up an almost similar formula and do a Solanki. The only difference is that the ruling party has left out Muslims and included the Patidars — call it the KHAP (Kshatriya-Harijan-Adivasi-Patidar) theory, if you will. To help them further, they have sprinkled a liberal helping of Hindutva on top of this.

    Interestingly, the Congress, the one-time proponents of ‘KHAM’ and to great success, have also updated their version and gone the KHAP way, leaving out the Muslims.

    The Aam Aadmi Party, which always positioned itself as a party of change, has not been immune from these developments and has also handed out tickets on the basis of caste equations. 

    After contesting the Gujarat elections to little avail in 2017, they are attempting to give it their best shot this time around. The AAP had already tested the virtues of relying on the Patidar community in the 2021 Surat local corporation election and won 27 corporation seats.

    ALSO READ | Don’t waste your votes, Congress’ share will go below 13 per cent, says Kejriwal

    Since then, the AAP has started giving priority to Patidars in assembly tickets distribution, even though Isudan Gadhvi from the OBC community is their Chief Ministerial candidate, a move that Arvind Kejriwal and his lead planners hope will keep the OBCs in Gujarat happy as well.

    Footnote: An interesting Gujarat elections tidbit

    Polling for one! Gir forest’s lone voter got a polling booth for himself in 2017.

    AHMEDABAD: Many political observers have been saying that the BJP has made caste-based politics and political parties irrelevant in elections in India. But caste and community remain at the heart of the Assembly polls in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state.

    Such is the care being shown that both the BJP and Congress have done their utmost to ensure caste equations are maintained, fielding candidates from the same community in 57 out of the 142 unreserved seats in the state. The remaining forty seats going to the polls are reserved  – 13 for the Scheduled Caste and 27 for the Scheduled Tribe.

    The emergence of various caste-based social movements — including the Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel, the OBC movement led by Alpesh Thakur and the Dalit agitation led by Jignesh Mevani, presently with the Congress — have played their part in ensuring that due emphasis is being paid in this direction.

    These agitations caused a lot of grief to the ruling BJP and brought down their numbers to under 100 seats in 2017. The BJP won 99 seats in those elections, while Congress numbers rose to 77 seats, proof as far as most experts were concerned that these agitations played their part in shoring up the Congress performance.

    Interestingly, the number of seats allocated to the Patidars by the BJP this time around is even more than that in 2017 underlining the importance being paid to the caste arithmetic by the ruling party. In 2017, the Patidars contested from 34 seats on BJP tickets. This time those numbers have risen to 45.

    ALSO READ | CM Bhupendra Patel Interview: ‘BJP has no challenger in Gujarat election’

    And if further proof was needed, it can be found in the number of OBC candidates the ruling party has fielded. Their numbers have gone up from 39 in 2017 to as many as 59 now.

    The OBCs and Patidars in that order in fact make up the majority of candidates in the list of both the BJP and Congress. 

    Breaking down the numbers further, in 2022, there are 28 seats where candidates from the OBC community are contesting against each other. The Patidars, meanwhile, are taking each other on in 25 seats, while 12 seats will witness a BJP-Congress fight involving the Thakors from the OBC community.

    When it comes to other communities, candidates from the Koli community (OBCs) are fighting it out in 10 seats, while two seats will see Kshatriyas (Rajputs) slug it out among themselves. Pitted against each other in two seats each also are candidates from the Ahir, Mehar and Chaudhary communities. Jain candidates from the BJP and Congress are locked in combat in one seat. Brahmin candidates from BJP and Congress are vying to be the MLA from another.

    ALSO READ | ‘Fund-starved’: Congress leaders shortchanged by own party in Gujarat

    The added emphasis on caste and community within the ruling party in the 2022 elections has also been triggered by the fact that leaders of various community movements have switched sides and joined the BJP. The Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel, who fought against the BJP in 2017, is now the BJP candidate from Viramgam constituency, while OBC movement leader Alpesh Thakor has also switched sides and is now contesting from Gandhinagar South as a BJP candidate.

    The emphasis on caste equations in these elections might also have a lot to do with the Congress’ Madhav Singh Solanki, the late leader who made the best use of caste equations in Gujarat.

    In 1980, Solanki came up with the KHAM (Kshatriya-Harijan-Adivasi-Muslim) theory based on the fact that this bloc constitutes nearly three-fourths of Gujarat’s population. Wooing the KHAMs helped the Congress win big. They clinched 142 seats in 1980 and 149 seats in 1985, a record that the BJP has been trying to break for the last 27 years.

    This time the BJP has tried to conjure up an almost similar formula and do a Solanki. The only difference is that the ruling party has left out Muslims and included the Patidars — call it the KHAP (Kshatriya-Harijan-Adivasi-Patidar) theory, if you will. To help them further, they have sprinkled a liberal helping of Hindutva on top of this.

    Interestingly, the Congress, the one-time proponents of ‘KHAM’ and to great success, have also updated their version and gone the KHAP way, leaving out the Muslims.

    The Aam Aadmi Party, which always positioned itself as a party of change, has not been immune from these developments and has also handed out tickets on the basis of caste equations. 

    After contesting the Gujarat elections to little avail in 2017, they are attempting to give it their best shot this time around. The AAP had already tested the virtues of relying on the Patidar community in the 2021 Surat local corporation election and won 27 corporation seats.

    ALSO READ | Don’t waste your votes, Congress’ share will go below 13 per cent, says Kejriwal

    Since then, the AAP has started giving priority to Patidars in assembly tickets distribution, even though Isudan Gadhvi from the OBC community is their Chief Ministerial candidate, a move that Arvind Kejriwal and his lead planners hope will keep the OBCs in Gujarat happy as well.

    Footnote: An interesting Gujarat elections tidbit

    Polling for one! Gir forest’s lone voter got a polling booth for himself in 2017.

  • Gujarat Assembly polls: ‘Son’ rise in 20 seats as BJP, Cong field dynasts

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Though frowned upon and favoured in equal measures by parties of different hues, dynastic politics is a traditional feature of electoral contests in the country and the next month’s Gujarat Assembly polls are no exception.

    The ruling BJP and opposition Congress have together fielded sons of sitting and former MLAs in at least 20 of the total 182 constituencies.

    The opposition Congress has fielded 13 such candidates and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to seven.

    Gujarat will vote in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    According to analysts, political parties are at times compelled to give tickets to dynasts either due to the strong ‘winnability’ factor or in the absence of an alternative in the constituencies where these leaders wield clout.

    When tribal leader and ten-time Congress MLA Mohansinh Rathva severed his decades-old ties with the parent party and joined BJP last month, the ruling party rewarded him by fielding his son Rajendrasinh Rathva from Chhota Udepur seat.

    The segment reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates will witness a straight contest between Rajendrasinh and Congress’ Sangramsinh Rathwa, the son of former Railways minister Naran Rathwa, both making their poll debut.

    Sitting MLA from Sanand seat in Ahmedabad district Kanu Patel is the son of former Congress MLA Karansinh Patel.

    The Patel senior joined the BJP in 2017, paving the way or his son to contest from Sanand again. The BJP has repeated Kanu Patel from the same seat.

    BJP’s candidate from Thasra, Yogendra Parmar, is the son of two-time MLA Ramsinh Parmar, who had won on a Congress ticket in 2007 and 2012 before quitting the party in 2017 but was defeated by a BJP candidate.

    Shailesh Parmar, a two-time MLA of Congress from the Danilimda seat in Ahmedabad, is the son of former MLA Manubhai Parmar. The Congress has once again reposed its faith in Shailesh for the upcoming elections.

    Another such contestant is former two-term MLA Mahendrasinh Vaghela, the son of former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela. Mahendrasinh re-joined Congress last month and was fielded by the party from the Bayad seat.

    He represented the constituency as a Congress MLA between 2012 and 2017, switched over to BJP in 2019, and returned to his parent party- Congress- last month.

    Tushar Chaudhary, the son of former chief minister Amarsinh Chaudhary, has been fielded by Congress from Bardoli, a seat reserved for ST candidates.

    He served as MP of Mandvi between 2004-09 and of Bardoli from 2009 to 2014. Jayesh Radadiya, the son of former BJP MP from Porbandar seat (late) Vitthal Radadiya, had won the 2009 by-election to the Dhoraji Assembly seat.

    He won the 2012 Assembly elections from the Jetpur constituency as a Congress candidate. Jayesh and his father resigned from Congress in 2013. In the 2017 polls, the Radadiya junior won on a BJP ticket from Jetpur. He went on to become a minister in the cabinet headed by Vijay Rupani. The BJP has fielded him from Jetpur for the next month’s elections.

    “There are several families in all political parties which consider politics as their legacy. Such families wield huge influence in their respective seats and can sway the electoral outcome,” said political analyst Ravindra Trivedi.

    He said parties are unable to find an option for such leaders and therefore they are compelled to give tickets to their close kin.

    Trivedi also said in some instances there are ‘dabang’ (strongman) leaders against whom no other leader from their political parties dares to stand.

    “They keep winning successive terms and are given tickets because parties fail to find an alternative. Even when they are replaced, it has to be their sons, daughters or wives,” he said.

    AHMEDABAD: Though frowned upon and favoured in equal measures by parties of different hues, dynastic politics is a traditional feature of electoral contests in the country and the next month’s Gujarat Assembly polls are no exception.

    The ruling BJP and opposition Congress have together fielded sons of sitting and former MLAs in at least 20 of the total 182 constituencies.

    The opposition Congress has fielded 13 such candidates and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to seven.

    Gujarat will vote in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    According to analysts, political parties are at times compelled to give tickets to dynasts either due to the strong ‘winnability’ factor or in the absence of an alternative in the constituencies where these leaders wield clout.

    When tribal leader and ten-time Congress MLA Mohansinh Rathva severed his decades-old ties with the parent party and joined BJP last month, the ruling party rewarded him by fielding his son Rajendrasinh Rathva from Chhota Udepur seat.

    The segment reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates will witness a straight contest between Rajendrasinh and Congress’ Sangramsinh Rathwa, the son of former Railways minister Naran Rathwa, both making their poll debut.

    Sitting MLA from Sanand seat in Ahmedabad district Kanu Patel is the son of former Congress MLA Karansinh Patel.

    The Patel senior joined the BJP in 2017, paving the way or his son to contest from Sanand again. The BJP has repeated Kanu Patel from the same seat.

    BJP’s candidate from Thasra, Yogendra Parmar, is the son of two-time MLA Ramsinh Parmar, who had won on a Congress ticket in 2007 and 2012 before quitting the party in 2017 but was defeated by a BJP candidate.

    Shailesh Parmar, a two-time MLA of Congress from the Danilimda seat in Ahmedabad, is the son of former MLA Manubhai Parmar. The Congress has once again reposed its faith in Shailesh for the upcoming elections.

    Another such contestant is former two-term MLA Mahendrasinh Vaghela, the son of former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela. Mahendrasinh re-joined Congress last month and was fielded by the party from the Bayad seat.

    He represented the constituency as a Congress MLA between 2012 and 2017, switched over to BJP in 2019, and returned to his parent party- Congress- last month.

    Tushar Chaudhary, the son of former chief minister Amarsinh Chaudhary, has been fielded by Congress from Bardoli, a seat reserved for ST candidates.

    He served as MP of Mandvi between 2004-09 and of Bardoli from 2009 to 2014. Jayesh Radadiya, the son of former BJP MP from Porbandar seat (late) Vitthal Radadiya, had won the 2009 by-election to the Dhoraji Assembly seat.

    He won the 2012 Assembly elections from the Jetpur constituency as a Congress candidate. Jayesh and his father resigned from Congress in 2013. In the 2017 polls, the Radadiya junior won on a BJP ticket from Jetpur. He went on to become a minister in the cabinet headed by Vijay Rupani. The BJP has fielded him from Jetpur for the next month’s elections.

    “There are several families in all political parties which consider politics as their legacy. Such families wield huge influence in their respective seats and can sway the electoral outcome,” said political analyst Ravindra Trivedi.

    He said parties are unable to find an option for such leaders and therefore they are compelled to give tickets to their close kin.

    Trivedi also said in some instances there are ‘dabang’ (strongman) leaders against whom no other leader from their political parties dares to stand.

    “They keep winning successive terms and are given tickets because parties fail to find an alternative. Even when they are replaced, it has to be their sons, daughters or wives,” he said.

  • Gujarat polls: Rahul Gandhi to address public rallies in Rajkot, Surat on Monday

    By PTI

    RAJKOT: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address two public rallies in Rajkot as well as Mahuva in Surat in poll-bound Gujarat on November 21, a party leader said on Saturday.

    Gandhi is currently leading the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, which is traversing Maharashtra and is poised to enter Madhya Pradesh on November 20.

    The former Congress president will be in Rajkot and Mahuva in south Gujarat to address public rallies on November 21, Rajasthan MLA and Congress’s Gujarat in-charge Raghu Sharma told reporters.

    Speaking on the Yatra, he said the nationwide march has covered 2,000 kilometres so far and has been organised as per the decision taken at the ‘navsankalp shivir’ in Rajasthan’s Udaipur against the “environment of fear, hatred and violence prevailing in the country”.

    Incidentally, Gandhi will be visiting Gujarat after two-and-half months.

    He had addressed a rally of booth-level workers in Ahmedabad on September 5, before moving on to lead the Yatra that commenced from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7.

    Gujarat will see two-phase Assembly polls on December 1 and 5, while votes will be counted on December 8.

    The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is seeking the seventh straight term, is pitted against Congress and Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party that has promised a slew of measures, or “guarantees” if it wins the polls.

    The BJP won the 2017 polls for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly by a narrow margin after winning 99 seats against Congress’ improved tally of 77.ALSO READ | PM Modi to address rallies in poll-bound Gujarat for two days

    RAJKOT: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address two public rallies in Rajkot as well as Mahuva in Surat in poll-bound Gujarat on November 21, a party leader said on Saturday.

    Gandhi is currently leading the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, which is traversing Maharashtra and is poised to enter Madhya Pradesh on November 20.

    The former Congress president will be in Rajkot and Mahuva in south Gujarat to address public rallies on November 21, Rajasthan MLA and Congress’s Gujarat in-charge Raghu Sharma told reporters.

    Speaking on the Yatra, he said the nationwide march has covered 2,000 kilometres so far and has been organised as per the decision taken at the ‘navsankalp shivir’ in Rajasthan’s Udaipur against the “environment of fear, hatred and violence prevailing in the country”.

    Incidentally, Gandhi will be visiting Gujarat after two-and-half months.

    He had addressed a rally of booth-level workers in Ahmedabad on September 5, before moving on to lead the Yatra that commenced from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7.

    Gujarat will see two-phase Assembly polls on December 1 and 5, while votes will be counted on December 8.

    The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is seeking the seventh straight term, is pitted against Congress and Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party that has promised a slew of measures, or “guarantees” if it wins the polls.

    The BJP won the 2017 polls for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly by a narrow margin after winning 99 seats against Congress’ improved tally of 77.ALSO READ | PM Modi to address rallies in poll-bound Gujarat for two days

  • Gujarat Assembly polls: BJP to conduct ‘carpet bombing’ campaign across 89 constituencies

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organized a mega election campaign called ‘carpet bombing’ with public meetings of central ministers and state leaders across 89 constituencies of the first phase.

    The entire campaign was held by the Chief Ministers of four states, six Union Ministers, 40 members of parliament, and BJP National President JP Nadda. They focused on Congress and Rahul Gandhi which made him and Hindutva the BJP’s campaign material in the upcoming Gujarat Polls.

    The attack on Rahul started in Gujarat’s Anjar District where Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed a public gathering.

    He said “Elections are in Gujarat but he (Rahul Gandhi) is wandering around in the South, when elections were in Himachal Pradesh he was in Kerala… he doesn’t want to come out of the dressing room as he does not want to play.”

    “Rahul Gandhi does not know India’s history. The kind of words he has used for Veer Savarkar reveals his ideology. He is anti-national, anti-Hindu. People will take a revenge about it,” Sarma further said.

    On the other hand, in Morbi, where over 136 people were killed in a bridge that collapsed on October 30, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath started his election campaign today. Yogi in his campaign called Gujarat a development model and directly attacked Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

    Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, Yogi said “Congress can’t respect your faith, can’t support your problems, and can’t secure India…they cannot even respect the national anthem. Before independence, Gandhiji had said to dissolve Congress, today that time has come, only BJP can keep the country safe.” 

    MP CM Shivraj Chouhan also joined the club of attacks on Rahul Gandhi at Kuthch’sMandvi. He said, “Will the country tolerate the kind of statements Rahul Gandhi is making against Veer Savarkar? Congress has always honoured the Nehru family. Have they ever counted the contributions of Shyamji Krishna Varma & Sardar Patel? People won’t forgive insults.” 

    Intensifying his attack on Rahul further, Shivraj said Rahul Gandhi is a shrub that will destroy the crops.

    “Narendra Modi is a ‘kalpavriksha’, you’ll get whatever you want. Kejriwal is a babul tree, you’ll get only thorns. Rahul Gandhi is a shrub that will destroy the crops. Congress, AAP will erase contentment and peace from the country,” he added.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat Assembly polls: AAP candidate withdraws nomination, Sisodia alleges ‘BJP goons’ abducted him

    “Congress used to badmouth me in MP that I’m letting Gujarat have Narmada water. Is Gujarat Pakistan? It’s our own, where do the differences come from? When Sardar Sarovar was built, Gujarat received water & MP received electricity, ” he further said.

    BJP National president JP Nadda, while addressing the gathering at Surat, recall the JNU incident and said Rahul and congress always stood behind the anti-national elements. 

    “Development is associated with us. Cong not doing ‘Bharat Jodo’ but ‘Bharat todo’. Rahul Gandhi even went to Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University and stood with those who protested against the hanging of Afzal Guru, mastermind of the Parliament attack,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat Assembly polls: Discontent intensifies in BJP in 40 seats

    Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who addressed various public rallies in South Gujarat, also seen in queue to support his national president JP Nadda as he said, “Rahul Gandhi doing Bharat Jodo Yatra with ‘tukde tukde gang’. He spoke about Hindu terror, stood with people who tried to divide India in JNU&now he’s raising questions on Veer Savarkar. It’s Cong’s mentality, they don’t see anythingbeyond one family.”

    AHMEDABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organized a mega election campaign called ‘carpet bombing’ with public meetings of central ministers and state leaders across 89 constituencies of the first phase.

    The entire campaign was held by the Chief Ministers of four states, six Union Ministers, 40 members of parliament, and BJP National President JP Nadda. They focused on Congress and Rahul Gandhi which made him and Hindutva the BJP’s campaign material in the upcoming Gujarat Polls.

    The attack on Rahul started in Gujarat’s Anjar District where Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed a public gathering.

    He said “Elections are in Gujarat but he (Rahul Gandhi) is wandering around in the South, when elections were in Himachal Pradesh he was in Kerala… he doesn’t want to come out of the dressing room as he does not want to play.”

    “Rahul Gandhi does not know India’s history. The kind of words he has used for Veer Savarkar reveals his ideology. He is anti-national, anti-Hindu. People will take a revenge about it,” Sarma further said.

    On the other hand, in Morbi, where over 136 people were killed in a bridge that collapsed on October 30, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath started his election campaign today. Yogi in his campaign called Gujarat a development model and directly attacked Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

    Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, Yogi said “Congress can’t respect your faith, can’t support your problems, and can’t secure India…they cannot even respect the national anthem. Before independence, Gandhiji had said to dissolve Congress, today that time has come, only BJP can keep the country safe.” 

    MP CM Shivraj Chouhan also joined the club of attacks on Rahul Gandhi at Kuthch’s
    Mandvi. He said, “Will the country tolerate the kind of statements Rahul Gandhi is making against Veer Savarkar? Congress has always honoured the Nehru family. Have they ever counted the contributions of Shyamji Krishna Varma & Sardar Patel? People won’t forgive insults.” 

    Intensifying his attack on Rahul further, Shivraj said Rahul Gandhi is a shrub that will destroy the crops.

    “Narendra Modi is a ‘kalpavriksha’, you’ll get whatever you want. Kejriwal is a babul tree, you’ll get only thorns. Rahul Gandhi is a shrub that will destroy the crops. Congress, AAP will erase contentment and peace from the country,” he added.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat Assembly polls: AAP candidate withdraws nomination, Sisodia alleges ‘BJP goons’ abducted him

    “Congress used to badmouth me in MP that I’m letting Gujarat have Narmada water. Is Gujarat Pakistan? It’s our own, where do the differences come from? When Sardar Sarovar was built, Gujarat received water & MP received electricity, ” he further said.

    BJP National president JP Nadda, while addressing the gathering at Surat, recall the JNU incident and said Rahul and congress always stood behind the anti-national elements. 

    “Development is associated with us. Cong not doing ‘Bharat Jodo’ but ‘Bharat todo’. Rahul Gandhi even went to Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University and stood with those who protested against the hanging of Afzal Guru, mastermind of the Parliament attack,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat Assembly polls: Discontent intensifies in BJP in 40 seats

    Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who addressed various public rallies in South Gujarat, also seen in queue to support his national president JP Nadda as he said, “Rahul Gandhi doing Bharat Jodo Yatra with ‘tukde tukde gang’. He spoke about Hindu terror, stood with people who tried to divide India in JNU&now he’s raising questions on Veer Savarkar. It’s Cong’s mentality, they don’t see anything
    beyond one family.”

  • Congress releases fourth list of 9 candidates for Gujarat Assembly polls

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Congress released the fourth list of nine candidates for the Assembly polls in Gujarat where the party is seeking to oust the ruling BJP in the two-phased elections scheduled next month.

    With the release of the nine candidates, the party has declared candidates for 104 seats so far.

    Congress announced its first list on November 4, in which 43 candidates were announced. The second list consisting of 46 candidates was announced on November 10. A list of seven candidates was released on Friday, however, one was a replacement for the earlier announced candidate.

    In the latest and fourth list of candidates released duly signed by the party’s general secretary Mukul Wasnik, Malubhai Kandoria has been fielded from Dwarka, Mansinh Dodiya from Talala, Mahesh Makwana from Kodinar SC, Revatsinh Gohil from Bhavnagar Rural and Baldev Majibhai Solanki from Bhavnagar East.

    Gujarat Elections-4th list of candidates released by Congress for upcoming assembly elections.9 names in this list.Total of 106 candidates announced by party so far. pic.twitter.com/6Cu7UaaEWk
    — Amock (@Politics_2022_) November 12, 2022
    Among other candidates on the list include Ramesh Mer from Botad, Sanjay Solanki from Jambusar, Jaykantbhai B Patel from Bharuch and Kishanbhai Vestabhai Patel from Dharampur ST.

    The second list of candidates released includes Mamadbhai Jung Jat (Abdasa), Rajendersingh Jadeja (Mandvi), Arjanbhai Bhudia (Bhuj), Naushad Solanki (Dasada – SC), Kalpana Karamsibhai Makwana (Limbdi).

    ALSO READ | BJP faces rebellion ahead of Gujarat Assembly polls; 5 leaders threaten to contest as independents

    A total of three women leaders have found their way into the list which includes Kalpana Karamsibhai Makwana from Limbdi, Jermaben Sukhlal Vasava from Dediapada -ST, and Bharti Prakash Patel from Karanj.

    The Assembly elections are scheduled to be held on December 1 and 5, and the counting of votes will take place on December 8.

    NEW DELHI: Congress released the fourth list of nine candidates for the Assembly polls in Gujarat where the party is seeking to oust the ruling BJP in the two-phased elections scheduled next month.

    With the release of the nine candidates, the party has declared candidates for 104 seats so far.

    Congress announced its first list on November 4, in which 43 candidates were announced. The second list consisting of 46 candidates was announced on November 10. A list of seven candidates was released on Friday, however, one was a replacement for the earlier announced candidate.

    In the latest and fourth list of candidates released duly signed by the party’s general secretary Mukul Wasnik, Malubhai Kandoria has been fielded from Dwarka, Mansinh Dodiya from Talala, Mahesh Makwana from Kodinar SC, Revatsinh Gohil from Bhavnagar Rural and Baldev Majibhai Solanki from Bhavnagar East.

    Gujarat Elections-
    4th list of candidates released by Congress for upcoming assembly elections.
    9 names in this list.
    Total of 106 candidates announced by party so far. pic.twitter.com/6Cu7UaaEWk
    — Amock (@Politics_2022_) November 12, 2022
    Among other candidates on the list include Ramesh Mer from Botad, Sanjay Solanki from Jambusar, Jaykantbhai B Patel from Bharuch and Kishanbhai Vestabhai Patel from Dharampur ST.

    The second list of candidates released includes Mamadbhai Jung Jat (Abdasa), Rajendersingh Jadeja (Mandvi), Arjanbhai Bhudia (Bhuj), Naushad Solanki (Dasada – SC), Kalpana Karamsibhai Makwana (Limbdi).

    ALSO READ | BJP faces rebellion ahead of Gujarat Assembly polls; 5 leaders threaten to contest as independents

    A total of three women leaders have found their way into the list which includes Kalpana Karamsibhai Makwana from Limbdi, Jermaben Sukhlal Vasava from Dediapada -ST, and Bharti Prakash Patel from Karanj.

    The Assembly elections are scheduled to be held on December 1 and 5, and the counting of votes will take place on December 8.

  • BJP faces rebellion ahead of Gujarat Assembly polls; 5 leaders threaten to contest as independents

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: At least one sitting Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and four former legislators have threatened to contest as independents after being denied tickets by the BJP for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

    While some of these disgruntled leaders have said they will make their next move after consulting supporters, former BJP MLA and the party’s known tribal face Harshad Vasava already filed his nomination papers on Friday as an independent from Nandod seat, reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates.

    Vasava is the president of Gujarat BJP’s Scheduled Tribe Morcha and represented the erstwhile Rajpipla seat between 2002 and 2007 and from 2007 to 2012.

    Nandod in Narmada district is currently held by the Congress. The BJP has fielded Dr Darshana Deshmukh from the seat.

    Unhappy over the announcement, Vasava resigned from his post in the BJP and submitted his nomination papers for the Nandod seat on Friday.

    Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    “There is an original BJP and a duplicate BJP here. We will expose those who have side-lined committed workers and given key posts to newcomers. I have sent my resignation to the party. People of this area know how much work I have done as an MLA between 2002 and 2012,” Vasava told reporters after filing his nomination as an independent.

    In the neighbouring Vadodara district, one sitting and two former BJP MLAs are up in arms against the party after being denied tickets.

    Six-time MLA Madhu Shrivastav from Vaghodia, who has been denied a ticket, said he will contest as an independent if his supporters want him to.

    The BJP has fielded Ashwin Patel from the seat.

    Another former BJP MLA Dinesh Patel aka Dinu Mama of Padra seat in Vadodara district has also said he would contest the election independently.

    The BJP has given the ticket to Chaitanyasinh Zala. The seat is held by Congress. In Karjan, former BJP MLA Satish Patel is unhappy after the BJP decided to repeat sitting legislator Akshay Patel.

    Akshay Patel won on the Congress ticket from the seat in 2017. He joined the BJP in 2020 and won the subsequent bypoll.

    ALSO READ | BJP’s internal strife over ticket distribution grows stronger after second list announcements in Gujarat

    “Everyone knows what Akshay Patel did as an MLA. My supporters and cooperative sector leaders of Karjan have asked me to fight this election, even as an independent. I was not consulted before the party decided to give the ticket to Akshay Patel,” Satish Patel told reporters in Karjan.

    “In fact, 80 per cent of the workers and office-bearers of the BJP had recommended my name during the ‘sense’ exercise. But, I was rejected in the end. We would have accepted any other person as a candidate, but BJP workers and local leaders can never accept Akshay Patel,” he claimed.

    In a damage control exercise, state BJP general secretary Bhargav Bhatt and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi on Saturday visited Vadodara and met local party workers.

    Bhatt exuded confidence that the BJP will win all the seats of Vadodara.

    “We will convince Dinu Mama not to go ahead with his plans. There is still scope. He has always remained with the BJP and we are sure he will come back. He has yet not filed his nomination as an independent,” said Bhatt.

    Speaking on the issue, Sanghavi said, “The BJP is like a family and all members of this family are united. We all are one and the BJP will win the election with the support of the people.”

    Meanwhile, Arvind Ladani, former BJP MLA of Keshod seat of Junagadh, announced on Saturday that he would fight the polls as an independent after the party gave the ticket to present MLA Devabhai Malam.

    “People of Keshod are angry because I was denied the ticket by the BJP. People know how much work I have done for Keshod. Thus, people as well as my supporters have asked me to fight as an independent. I will file my nomination on November 14,” said Ladani, who was the MLA from 2012 to 2017.

    The BJP has so far named candidates for 166 Assembly seats out of the total 182.

    AHMEDABAD: At least one sitting Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and four former legislators have threatened to contest as independents after being denied tickets by the BJP for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

    While some of these disgruntled leaders have said they will make their next move after consulting supporters, former BJP MLA and the party’s known tribal face Harshad Vasava already filed his nomination papers on Friday as an independent from Nandod seat, reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates.

    Vasava is the president of Gujarat BJP’s Scheduled Tribe Morcha and represented the erstwhile Rajpipla seat between 2002 and 2007 and from 2007 to 2012.

    Nandod in Narmada district is currently held by the Congress. The BJP has fielded Dr Darshana Deshmukh from the seat.

    Unhappy over the announcement, Vasava resigned from his post in the BJP and submitted his nomination papers for the Nandod seat on Friday.

    Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    “There is an original BJP and a duplicate BJP here. We will expose those who have side-lined committed workers and given key posts to newcomers. I have sent my resignation to the party. People of this area know how much work I have done as an MLA between 2002 and 2012,” Vasava told reporters after filing his nomination as an independent.

    In the neighbouring Vadodara district, one sitting and two former BJP MLAs are up in arms against the party after being denied tickets.

    Six-time MLA Madhu Shrivastav from Vaghodia, who has been denied a ticket, said he will contest as an independent if his supporters want him to.

    The BJP has fielded Ashwin Patel from the seat.

    Another former BJP MLA Dinesh Patel aka Dinu Mama of Padra seat in Vadodara district has also said he would contest the election independently.

    The BJP has given the ticket to Chaitanyasinh Zala. The seat is held by Congress. In Karjan, former BJP MLA Satish Patel is unhappy after the BJP decided to repeat sitting legislator Akshay Patel.

    Akshay Patel won on the Congress ticket from the seat in 2017. He joined the BJP in 2020 and won the subsequent bypoll.

    ALSO READ | BJP’s internal strife over ticket distribution grows stronger after second list announcements in Gujarat

    “Everyone knows what Akshay Patel did as an MLA. My supporters and cooperative sector leaders of Karjan have asked me to fight this election, even as an independent. I was not consulted before the party decided to give the ticket to Akshay Patel,” Satish Patel told reporters in Karjan.

    “In fact, 80 per cent of the workers and office-bearers of the BJP had recommended my name during the ‘sense’ exercise. But, I was rejected in the end. We would have accepted any other person as a candidate, but BJP workers and local leaders can never accept Akshay Patel,” he claimed.

    In a damage control exercise, state BJP general secretary Bhargav Bhatt and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi on Saturday visited Vadodara and met local party workers.

    Bhatt exuded confidence that the BJP will win all the seats of Vadodara.

    “We will convince Dinu Mama not to go ahead with his plans. There is still scope. He has always remained with the BJP and we are sure he will come back. He has yet not filed his nomination as an independent,” said Bhatt.

    Speaking on the issue, Sanghavi said, “The BJP is like a family and all members of this family are united. We all are one and the BJP will win the election with the support of the people.”

    Meanwhile, Arvind Ladani, former BJP MLA of Keshod seat of Junagadh, announced on Saturday that he would fight the polls as an independent after the party gave the ticket to present MLA Devabhai Malam.

    “People of Keshod are angry because I was denied the ticket by the BJP. People know how much work I have done for Keshod. Thus, people as well as my supporters have asked me to fight as an independent. I will file my nomination on November 14,” said Ladani, who was the MLA from 2012 to 2017.

    The BJP has so far named candidates for 166 Assembly seats out of the total 182.