BJP faces problem of plenty, 4,000 line up for 182 seats
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat BJP is spoilt for choice — 4,000 aspirants have queued up for the state’s 182 assembly seats. It would be no cakewalk to pick the right candidate from the dozen or so hopefuls for each seat. Staving off infighting after the selection will be a bigger challenge.
Then there are seats like Saurashtra’s Vadhwan, where 45 people have staked claim. And that is nothing compared to Ahmedabad — where more than 250 contenders are in the fray for 21 city and district seats.
The delimitation exercise has queered the pitch further.
The redrawing of the assembly constituencies has changed the demographic equations in over 60 segments. The trouble? “As many as two dozen MLAs and six ministers have staked their claims from safe seats, but there, the locals are resenting them,” said a party leader.
In at least 50 seats, local leaders have opposed the candidature of sitting MLAs.
Flummoxed, party leaders have sent around 100 observers in 33 district and city units to meet the candidates. And a 13member parliamentary board will meet from October 30 to November 5 to shortlist three names for each constituency. The final call will be taken by the party’s national parliamentary board after Diwali.
But even so, keeping the flock together would be difficult. A BJP parliamentarian from the state said some of those denied a ticket might switch to Keshubhai Patel’s Gujarat Parivartan Party. The state leaders, however, are keeping their chin up. “The competition is a sign that the party is coming back to power,” said state BJP general secretary Vijay Rupani.