BJP releases 2nd list of 36 names for Gujarat polls

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Saturday dropped 13 sitting legislators from its second list of 36 candidates announced for the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat. Of these seats, the BJP had 20, the Congress 15 and the NCP one. The list is in sharp contrast to the first list of 70 candidates released by the party on Friday, wherein it repeated 49 MLAs and dropped just two. So far, the BJP has denied tickets to 15 of the 71 MLAs.

NEWDELHI: The BJP’s 13 sitting legislators did not figure in the party’s second list of 36 candidates for the Gujarat polls that was released on Saturday.

Out of the 36 seats for which the BJP released its candidates, 20 are with the saffron party, 15 with the Congress and one with the Nationalist Congress Party.

The ruling party’s second list is in sharp contrast to its first one—released on Friday—in which it had repeated 49 MLAs and dropped just two. So far, the BJP has denied ticket to 15 of its 71 MLAs.

Even in 2007 and 2012, the BJP had not given tickets to some MLAs in an attempt to ensure that any anti-incumbency sentiment against individual legislators does not harm the party.

Only seven out of 20 BJP MLAs found space in Saturday’s list, which featured 28 new faces. The list also included the names of 13 ST and two SC candidates.

In the upcoming elections, the saffron party faces a stiff challenge from the Congress and the trio of youth leaders — Hardika Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani— in Gujarat, which has been under its rule since 1998.

The 2015 Patidar quota agitation appeared to have hurt the BJP in rural pockets during the panchayat elections. As a result, the party has not shied away from replacing sitting MLAs with new candidates in order to keep its bastion intact.

With Saturday’s list, the BJP has announced candidates for 106 of Gujarat’s 182 seats. The party’s first list of 70 candidates included the names of BJP stalwarts such as chief Minister Vijay Rupani, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel and state party chief Jitu Vaghani.

A day after the BJP announced its first list, resentment built up in the party here, leading to protests as well as resignations from senior leaders.

The saffron party received a jolt when Kodinar MLA, Jetha Solanki, quit the party and resigned from all posts, alleging that Dalits had been facing “atrocities” under its rule. Solanki said the party conveyed to him that he would not be given a ticket this time.

The state goes vote in two phases - December 8 and 14 - and the results will be declared on December 18.

ONLY 7 OUT OF 20 BJP LEGISLATORS FOUND SPACE IN PARTY’S SECOND LIST OF 36 CANDIDATES, WHICH SAW 28 NEW FACES