Gujarat CM, Patidars, Cong rebels in BJP’s first list of candidates
The Bharatiya Janata Party announced on Friday its first list of 70 candidates for assembly elections in Gujarat, retaining most of its state heavyweights and accommodating rebels from the rival Congress.
The list belied speculation that the BJP would drop most of its sitting members of the assembly. It re-nominated 49 lawmakers, including chief minister Vijay Rupani and his deputy Nitinbhai Patel as well as many from the Patidar community.
The re-nomination of sitting Patidar legislators signalled the BJP was unwilling to change tack on the politically influential group that has lately sought to coalesce against the party under the leadership of Hardik Patel.
The list also figures five Congress rebels who sided with the BJP in this year’s presidential election as well as the Rajya Sabha polls that saw Congress leader Ahmed Patel winning narrowly. It has 16 fresh faces and just four women.
“While caste balances have been considered, above all, because of merits and performance of the MLAs and ministers, they have been continued,” deputy chief minister Patel said.
Voting to elect 182 members to the assembly will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The results are expected on December 18. The list includes candidates for both the phases.
The contest in Gujarat, Modi’s home state where the BJP has been in power for 22 years, will be keenly watched for signs of voter reaction to some of his radical economic policies that the opposition Congress party is trying to leverage to regain political ground.
Also, angry protests by Patidars – traditionally its supporters – demanding quotas in education and government jobs is a headache for the BJP, although most experts see the party retaining power in its citadel.
For the BJP, which has said it will win no less than 150 seats,
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