AHMEDABAD: Ahead of elections in Gujarat, state BJP president CR Patil has started announcing party candidates in public gatherings in growing signs of the state unit showing functional autonomy free from the ‘high command’ culture.
Patil’s move was apparent at ‘Shastra-Pujan’ held at Chanasma town in north Gujarat on Wednesday where he indicated that only he would decide and announce the party candidates. Political analysts weigh that remark against Patil’s earlier assertion in Anand during a public meeting that PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah would decide the party ticket. The U-turn could have something to do with the party’s fresh estimation of the current scenario within the party, they said.
On Wednesday Patil dropped enough hints that Alpesh Thakor, would be the party’s candidate from the Radhanpur assembly constituency. “Alpesh bhai is our senior leader. We want him to contest the election and win the seat” he said.
In 2017, Alpesh led the OBC movement in Gujarat and contested from Radhanpur seat (Patan) on a Congress ticket and won against BJP’s Lovingji Solanki. Later he joined the BJP and contested the 2019 by-election from the same seat, but lost to Congress’ Raghu Desai.
Similarly, Patil announced the second name at a gathering in north Gujarat’s Harij, Dilip Thakor. “Dilip bhai, keep yourself ready for the poll battle,” Patil said, adding Thakor was a senior party leader.