Election 2022: News in brief from across Gujarat

Gandhinagar:

– Petlad Congress MLA Niranjan Patel has resigned from the Congress party. He made this announcement through a letter. Upset by the denial of the ticket by the party, Patel has also announced his resignation from the State assembly.

– BJP has placated rebel Jashu Patel who is from Kansa village of Visnagar assembly seat. Upset with the denial of the ticket, Patel wanted to contest as an independent candidate. Patel is the president of the Choryashi Patidar community. BJP leader Nitin Patel, the party’s Visnagar candidate Rushikesh Patel, and local community leaders visited Jashu Patel’s residence last evening and held talks with him and his family and convinced him not to contest as an independent and join the campaign of party candidate Rushikesh Patel. Patel was convinced. Nitin Patel last evening went live on his Facebook to make this announcement.

– But in Congress fold, another Jashu Patel is sulking. This Jashu Patel is sitting MLA of the Bayad seat. He is upset with the party for the denial of the ticket. The party has allotted a Bayad seat to Mahendrasinh Vaghela who rejoined the party just a few days ago. Mahendrasinh is the son of former Chief Minister Shaknersinh Vaghela. Like his father, Mahendrasinh has also changed parties time and again. Jashu Patel today pointed out the same thing while reacting to denial of the ticket to him.

– But there’s potential rebel activity in the BJP camp too in Bayad. Upset with the denial of the ticket, Dhavalsinh Jhala has announced his independent candidature for this seat. Dhavalsinh is ex-Congress MLA. He joined the ruling BJP in 2019 and resigned from the State assembly. BJP had fielded him in a by-poll in the same year, but Dhavalsinh lost the election by a little over 700 votes. Aide of Alpesh Thakor, Dhavalsinh yesterday held a meeting of his supporters and announced his independent candidature.

– Gujarat Congress incharge Raghu Sharma yesterday was in the Vansda assembly seat area of South Gujarat to short list the ground for the rally of party leader Rahul Gandhi on 21st November. Sharma said the party will hold two grand rallies on the same day – one in Saurashtra and the other in South Gujarat. Sharma was accompanied by party leader Bharatsinh Solanki and local MLA Anant Patel.

– Ex-MLA and BJP leader Satish Patel alias Nishaliya (as he is from Nishaliya village)has been convinced by the party leadership to drop his idea of independent candidature. Nishaliya was upset with the party as he was denied a ticket on the Karjan assembly seat in Central Gujarat. However, the State party leadership has convinced him. Nishaliya last evening released a video and gave a statement that he is no more contesting as an independent.

– Congress had announced a seat-sharing pact with Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and gave three seats to NCP – Naroda, Devgadh Bariya, and Umreth. NCP wanted to field AMC (Amdavad Municipal Corporation) councilor Nikulsinh Tomar as its candidate for the Naroda seat. However Tomar has been elected to AMC on a Congress ticket, and if he would contest as an NCP candidate, then he would require to resign from AMC. Therefore the party has decided to field Meghraj Dodwani, who is the President of the Relief Road Sindhi traders association as the NCP candidate. Interestingly, Dodwani belongs to the Congress party, but he would contest as an NCP candidate.

– Congress party’s Panchmahal district office in Godhra last evening faced stone-pelting after the announcement of candidates including the candidate for the Godhra seat. There were some Muslim aspirants who wanted a ticket from the Congress party for the Godhra seat. It is believed that upset with the name of the candidate announced by the Congress party, the supporters of such ticket aspirants pelted stones and broke the glasses of the Congress office in Godhra. Police were deployed to prevent further protests.

– As soon as the name of the Congress candidate for the Matar seat was announced, a group of local Congress workers gathered at the local party office and protested the announcement. The party cadres alleged that the party has sold the ticket to a person who has been defeated twice on this seat.

– Congress has changed its candidate for the Halol seat. the party had earlier announced Rajendrasinh Parmar’s name for candidature on this seat, however, the party has now given the mandate to Anish Bariya as Rajendrasinh refused to contest from Halol, as he wanted a ticket from Godhra seat.

-BJP is facing rebellion on several seats. Mavji Desai has rebelled on the Dhanera seat, Madhu Srivastav is rebelling on the Waghodia seat, Dinu Mama alias Dinesh Patel is rebelling on the Padra seat, and Arvind Ladani is rebelling on the Keshod seat. Dhavalsinh Jhala is going to rebel on Bayad seat. Harshad Vasava is rebelling on Nandod seat. Lebji Thakor may rebel on Deesa seat. Patan Lok Sabha MP Bharatsinh Dabhi’s brother Ramsinh Dabhi has announced independent candidature on the Kheralu seat after the denial of ticket by BJP. Khatubhai Pagi of BJP has been fielded by Congress on Shahera seat against BJP candidate and sitting MLA Jetha Bharwad. Khatubhai was upset after denial of BJP ticket to him. The actual situation will be clear after the last date of withdrawal of nominations.

-Kanchal Jariwala, AAP leader who withdrew his nomination form from Surat East assembly seat has sought police security as he fears attack from rival Congress candidate Aslam Cyclewala. Jariwala was AAP candidate on Surat East seat. He has yesterday in a video stated that he was withdrawing his nomination form as the local people would call him anti-national and anti-Gujarat and would refuse to support him as he was fielded from anti-Gujarat and anti-national party. A dummy candidate of AAP was Salim Multani on this seat. As Kanchal Jariwala has withdrawn his nomination, Multani is seeking his nomination to be finalized as an official AAP candidate. If Multani is declared the AAP candidate then Muslim votes on this assembly seat would divide between Congress’s Aslam Cyclewala and AAP’s Salim Multani. With Jariwala’s candidature, Aslam was looking for division in Hindu votes, however as Jariwala withdrew his nomination and if his dummy Salim Multani becomes a regular candidate then Muslim votes would face division. It is because of this reason, Jariwala has sought police protection against potential assault by Aslam Cyclewala.

– Gujarat Congress President Jagdish Thakor’s real brother will contest the State assembly election. Jagdish Thakor’s real brother Amrat Motiji Thakor has been given the Congress party’s mandate to contest from the Kankrej assembly seat. Kankrej is native place of Jagdish Thakor. Amrat Motiji Thakor will fight the electoral battle against BJP candidate Kirtisinh Vaghela who is also minister in the State government. Jagdish Thakor earlier wanted to field his brother as a party candidate from the Dahegam seat, but later settled for the Kankrej seat. Jagdish Thakor himself is not contesting the election.

-Main opposition Congress party has dropped ten sitting MLAs and denied them tickets in upcoming State assembly polls. Among those dropped are Bharat Thakor – Bechraji, Jashu Patel – Bayad, Rajesh Gohil – Dhandhuka, Niranjan Patel – Petlad, Vajesinh Panda – Dahod, PD Vasava – Nandod, Bhavesh Katara – Jhalod, Santok Arethia – Rapar, Mohan Wala – Kodinar and Suresh Patel – Mansa. While Santokben Arethia has been dropped, the Congress party has given a ticket to her husband. Suresh Patel from Mansa had himself asked party not to nominate him due to his ill health.

DeshGujarat