AHMEDABAD: The BJP is in the thick of action as the countdown begins for the Assembly elections in Gujarat. Even as former Matar MLA Kesrisinh Solanki on Saturday returned to the BJP within 48 hours of joining AAP, supporters of MLA Zankhana Patel protested at Choryasi in Surat after the party replaced her with Sandeep Desai in the second list of candidates, comprising six names, for the Assembly elections to be held in December.
Patel had won the seat with over one lakh votes, which was the second highest margin recorded in 2017, after Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Surat, the home city of Gujarat BJP president CR Patil and a citadel of the saffron party, has been witnessing dissatisfaction among workers post the seat allocation. The cadre has also been seeking the removal of incumbent MLA Sangita Patel, said to be a close confidante of CR Patil. “The Choryasi seat is dominated by Hindi-speaking voters and the Koli community. Zankhana Patel is a Koli, but her name is not on the list. We don’t understand the reason,” Surat Yajuvendra Dube, a local BJP leader, said. “Even if the party wanted to change the candidate, the ticket should have been given according to the caste equations,” he aded.
Similarly, in Varachha there is resentment among the cadre over the selection of Kumar Kanani, who had become unpopular among party workers. The decision to filed Congress turncoat Bhagha Barad from Talala has also irked local leaders. In Khambhat, sitting MLA Mayur Raval is facing resistance after being reselected to enter the frays.The BJP has so far announced the names of 166 candidates in two lists, while 16 candidates are yet to be announced.