The BJP on Thursday announced the first list of 160 candidates for the upcoming elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, dropping 38 sitting MLAs and repeating 69.The list includes the names of Congress turncoat Hardik Patel from Viramgam and cricketer Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Rivaba from Jamnagar (North).
Making the announcement of 160 names, union minister Bhupender Yadav said the list of 160 candidates includes 69 sitting MLAs. As many as “38 candidates have been changed but with consensus”, he said.Gujarat CM Bhupender Patel will contest from Ghatlodia.
The Opposition Congress recently announced its first list of 43 candidates, fielding Rajya Sabha MP Amee Yagnik from the Ghatlodia seat, currently held by Bhupendra Patel.The BJP fielded Kantilal Shivlal Amrutiya from Morbi, who reportedly jumped into the river to save lives in the recent bridge tragedy.
The names were decided by the CEC headed by party president JP Nadda. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who are said to have “closely discussed and scrutinised” each and every name in their home state. Several senior leaders, including former chief minister Vijay Rupani and former deputy CM Nitin Patel have already opted out of the election.Former education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, former state unit chief RC Faldu, and former ministers Saurabh Patel, Pradeepsinh Jadeja and Kaushik Patel also opted out before the announcement of the list, perhaps to avoid any embarrassment of being dropped by the party which wanted to go with fresh faces “to avoid anti-incumbency”, according to sources.
