As many as 11 Gujarat MLAs were seen on the stage, sitting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Ahmedabad where the latter addressed a poll event a few days back. Ten of them have failed to make it to the candidate list announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the constituencies represented by them set to be contested by different leaders this time.
The 10 MLAs who did not make the cut are Chauhan Kishor Babulal (Vejalpur), Rakesh Shah (Ellisbridge), Kaushik Patel (Naranpura), Thawani Balram Khubchand (Naroda), Kakadiya Vallabhbhai Gobarbhai (Thakkarbapa Nagar), HS Patel (Amraiwadi), Suresh Patel (Maninagar), Arvidkumar Gandabhai Patel (Sabarmati), Parmar Pradipbhai Khanabai (Asatwa) and Bhupendrasinh Manubha Chudasama (Dholka).
Those who have been given tickets in their place are:
- Amitbhai Diurajlal Thakar: Vejalpur
- Amitbhai Popatbhai Shah: Ellisbridge
- Jitendrabhai Ramanbhai Patel (Bhagat): Naranpura
- Payalben Manojkumar Kukrani: Naroda
- Kanchanben Vinubhai Radadiya: Thakkarbapa Nagar
- Hasmukhbhai Patel: Amraiwadi
- Amulbhai Bhatt: Maninagar
- Harshadbhai Ranchodabhai Patel: Sabarmati
- Darshnaben Vaghela: Asatwa
- Kiritsinh Sardarsinh Dabhi: Dholka
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Shows 'Generational Shift': BJP
Notably, after bringing in a first-time MLA as the Gujarat chief minister a year back, the BJP central leadership Thursday made a sweeping change in the profile of party candidates for the assembly polls by denying tickets to 38 MLAs (nearly one fourth) and giving space to new faces, including Patidar leader Hardik Patel and cricketer Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Rivaba.
The ruling party has fielded 40 Patidar and 49 OBC candidates in its first list. It is to be noted that the announcement came a day after four top BJP leaders, including former chief minister Vijay Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel, said they had opted out of the electoral race in order to make way for new faces.
The party said their decision showed a "generational shift".
"Thirty-eight MLAs have been replaced... BJP usually changes 20% of its MLAs. In electoral democracy, change is necessary, otherwise it will lead to stagnation. We have given tickets to several youngsters. This list shows a generational shift in Gujarat BJP,” party’s state unit chief CR Patil told news agency PTI.
Meanwhile, during his visit to Gujarat 10 days back, PM Modi dedicated to the nation two railway projects worth over Rs 2,900 crores.
Gujarat, which has 182 Assembly seats, goes to election in two phases on December 1 and 5.