The move comes just before the BJP’s National Parliamentary Board began its crucial meeting on September 09 to select candidates for the elections.
The move comes just before the BJP’s National Parliamentary Board began its crucial meeting on September 09 to select candidates for the elections.
Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, his deputy Nitin Patel and other top cabinet colleagues of his previous government have opted to contest. assembly elections,
The move was taken just before the crucial meeting of the BJP’s National Parliamentary Board began on Wednesday to select candidates for the elections.
Mr Rupani announced the decision in Rajkot, while Mr Patel wrote to state party chief CR Patil about his decision not to contest the upcoming elections.
Following this, former ministers Kaushik Patel, Saurabh Patel, RC Faldu, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Pradeepsinh Jadeja separately announced their decision to drop out of the race.
Most of these leaders had served in governments led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was the state’s chief minister and then in the Anandiben Patel-led government and later in the Rupani administration from 2016 to 2021.
He praised the BJP leadership for giving them an opportunity to serve the party and the people, while praising the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone.
According to party sources, it was expected that most ministers who served in the Rupani administration would be dropped from the candidate list, just like the entire cabinet in September when the BJP high command changed the guard in the state. how was it removed. Last year.
“I worked as chief minister for five years with everyone’s cooperation. New workers should be given responsibility in these elections. I will not contest elections, I have informed Delhi by sending letters to seniors. We will work to make the chosen candidate win,” Mr. Rupani said.
Patel, the former deputy CM, said in a handwritten letter to Mr Patil that he should not be considered for a ticket from Mehsana, his current assembly seat, as he has decided not to contest.
Party insiders say the move is part of the BJP’s strategy to field fresh faces as the party is seeking a seventh consecutive mandate in the state. The BJP won the Gujarat elections in 1995 and has not lost a single assembly election since then.
The BJP is expected to replace around 40 sitting MLAs and bring in new faces. “It is our strategy to field new faces, give opportunities to new people,” a senior leader told The Hindu.
The move to replace the sitting MLAs en masse appears to be a tactic against the anti-incumbency wave.
Another factor which has apparently contributed to the removal of some party veterans is his reputation as there were some allegations and assumptions about his integrity. For example, Saurabh Patel faced allegations of corruption and wrongdoing in the Department of Energy, which he ran for several years.