After releasing first list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday Nov 18,2017 released its second list of 36 candidates, even as dissenting voices were heard within the party on the ticket allotment.
For the elections to the 182-member assembly, the party has announced total 106 names, out of which 60 candidates will contest in the first phase of voting - to be held on December 9. The second phase of voting will take place on December 14.
Party repeated the heavyweights such as Pradipsinh Jadeja from Vatva in Ahmedabad, Babu Bokhiria from Porbandar and Nima Acharya from Bhuj.
The latest list included nine new faces, while 12 sitting MLAs, including one minister, did not figure in the list.
Women and Child Development Minister Nirmala Wadhvani from Naroda constituency in Ahmedabad was dropped. She has been replaced by Baluram Thawani as BJP candidate. Parliamentary secretary Samjhi Chauhan from Chotila in Surendranagar district was also dropped. Arvind Rana, a three-time corporator, has been made Surat (East) candidate.
Notably, after the first list of the candidates, several sections felt neglected and raised strong objection. Dalit leader and sitting MLA from Kodinar in Saurashtra, Jethabhai Solanki resigned from the assembly and party posts after he was denied a ticket.
In 2012 elections, Solanki had won with a margin of over 63,300 votes. The kshatriya community members expressed strong objection to the BJP's decision of fielding Patidar face and industrialist Dhanji Patel from Surendranagar district. The disgruntlement was following the BJP denied ticket to senior party leader I K Jadeja, who has having strong following in Wadhwan and Dhrangadhra constituencies in Saurashtra. His supporters on Saturday gathered at BJP headquarters, Shri Kamalam in Gandhinagar and raised slogans.
The voice of dissent grew louder from other places including Vadodara and south Gujarat including Navsari, Bharuch, Mahuva and Amreli.
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