New Delhi: With less than a month left for Gujarat to undergo polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party is facing rebellion from five of its leaders who are unhappy for not getting tickets by the party in the upcoming polls, reported news agency PTI. While some of these leaders said that they will decide their next move after consulting supporters, former BJP MLA and party’s known tribal face Harshad Vasava already filed his nomination on Friday as independent from Nandod seat, reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
Vasava had been the president of Gujarat BJP’s Scheduled Tribe Morcha and represented the erstwhile Rajpipla seat between 2002 and 2007 and from 2007 to 2012.
The saffron party has fielded Dr Darshana Deshkmukh from Narmada’s Nandod seat which is currently held by Congress.
"There is an original BJP and a duplicate BJP here. We will expose those who have side-lined committed workers and given key posts to newcomers. I have sent my resignation to the party. People of this area know how much work I have done as an MLA between 2002 and 2012," Vasava told reporters after filing his nomination as an independent.
Meanwhile one sitting MLA and two former legislators from neighbouring Vadodara seat are also up in arms against the party after being denied the ticket.
Six-time MLA Madhu Shrivastav from Vaghodia, who has been denied a ticket, said he will contest as an independent if his supporters want him to. The BJP has fielded Ashwin Patel from the seat.
Another former BJP MLA Dinesh Patel aka Dinu Mama of Padra seat in Vadodara district has also said he would contest the election independently. The BJP has given the ticket to Chaitanyasinh Zala. The seat is held by the Congress.
In Karjan, former BJP MLA Satish Patel is unhappy after the BJP decided to repeat sitting legislator Akshay Patel.
Gujarat will undergo polls in two phases, December 1 and December 5, and the votes will be counted on December 8 along with Himachal Pradesh.