Record number of MLAs dropped by BJP from 3rd list

A day before the deadline for filing the nomination papers for the first phase of Gujarat assembly polls ends, the BJP declared its third list of candidates. Here are the details of the report.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released the third list of its 28 candidates for the assembly elections in Gujarat, dropping as many as 15 sitting legislators, including three Patidar ministers, for the crucial polls in December.

Ministers Nanu Vanani, Jayanti Kavadiya, and Vallabh Vagahsia did not find a place in the list. They represent Katargam, Dhangadhra, and Savarkundla, where the politically influential Patidar community’s agitation under the leadership of Hardik Patel for reservation in education and government jobs was widespread.

Vinubhai Moradiya will fight from the Katargam seat in Surat in place of Vanani.

The BJP did not include former minister Vasuben Trivedi from Jamnagar South. She is a close aide of former chief minister Anandiben Patel, who was replaced by the party with Vijay Rupani in August 2016. There was speculation that former chief minister Anandiben Patel’s daughter Anar may be fielded from Navsari. However, in the evening, BJP confirmed that the seat remains with sitting party MLA Piyush Desai.

Former minister IK Jadeja, another Anandiben loyalist, was also not given a ticket despite intense protests by his supporters in the past two days.

The ruling party has allowed heavyweights, including speaker Ramanlal Vora, former energy minister Saurabh Patel, and former state president RC Faldu, to change seats.

Patel, whose future appeared uncertain after he was dropped as a minister when the new cabinet was sworn in under chief minister Vijay Rupani last year, has been fielded from Botad. He represents Akota in the outgoing assembly.

Vora, a Dalit leader who represents Idar, will now fight from Dasada. Faldu, who lost the election in 2012 from Jamnagar Rural, will now contest from Jamnagar South.

Women have a got a raw deal this time with just nine candidates among the 135 BJP candidates declared so far. Of these, OBCs and Patidars have 41 and 34 seats respectively.