BJP announces list of Gujarat’s 21 Lok Sabha candidates

More than a week after Congress announced it’s 12 Lok Sabha candidates for Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday announced it’s first list of candidates for Gujarat for Lok Sabha elections 2009.

Kutch: Smt. Punamben Jat
Vadodara: Balkrishna(Balubhai) Shukla(Mayor)
Ahmedabad East: Harin pathak(Ex-Central Minister)
Ahmedabad West: Dr.Kirit Solanki(SC)
Mehsana: Smt. Jayshreeben Patel
Patan: Bhavsinh Rathod(MLA)
Sabarkantha: Dr. Mahendrasinh Chauhan
Banaskantha: Haribhai Chaudhari
Navsari: C.R.Patil
Anand: Dipak Sathi
Bharuch: Mansukh Vasava
Surendranagar: Lalji Mer
Kheda: Devsinh Chauhan
Porbandar: Mansukh Khachariya
Jamnagar: Ramesh Mungra
Rajkot: Kiran Patel
Surat: Darshanaben Jardosh
Panchamahal: Prabhatsinh Chauhan
Chhota Udepur: Ramsinh Rathwa
Bardoli: Ritesh Vasava
Valsad: Dr. Dhirubhai Patel

Heavy weight seasoned BJP MPs: Ex-Textile minister Kashiram Rana, ex-minister of state for heavy industries Vallabh kathiria are not renewed.

Two among the first list; Bhavsinh Rathod and Dipak Sathi are tainted candidates.

Only Four candidates; Harin Pathak, Mansukh Vasava, Haribhai Chaudhari and Rajendrasinh Rana are renominated. Dipak Sathi is ex-MP from the same seat.

Candidates for Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Amreli and Dahod are not announced in the first list.

Gujarat has total 26 constituencies. BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate L.K.Advani’s name had been announced as Candidate for Gandhinagar constituency in Gujarat way back before months.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat BJP president Purushottam Rupala and state BJP General Secretory Bhikhubhai Dalsania arrived in Delhi with a list of proposed candidates. BJP’s election committee meeting discussed and approved a list in the evening. Along with 20 candidates of Gujarat, names of Maharashtra’s candidates were also decided.