With the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) announcement for nine Assembly segments and Vadodara lok Sabha constituency by-elections, political lull after the lok Sabha elections would blow over in the State as the Opposition Congress may give tickets to senior Gujarat Congress leaders.
On the other hand, State BJP organisation is confident to continue its winning streak, which began with the coronation of Narendra Modi, then Gujarat Chief Minister, as the BJP’s campaign committee in-charge in June 2013.
Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has recommended the national leadership to give tickets to senior party leaders. These leaders include Union Ministers in the Manmohan Singh Government Bharatsinh Solanki (former GPCC president) and Tushar Chaudhry, former MPs Prabha Taviad (All India Congress Committee, Secretary) and Vikram Madam. Interestingly, all four had contested the previous lok Sabha elections as sitting MPs, but were defeated by huge margins, mainly because of massive Modi wave across the country.
The idea behind slating these senior leaders in the by-polls would be to win at least six out of nine Assembly seats to put pressure on Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and challenge her ‘so called’ popularity, said an office-bearer of GPCC adding, “Though the result of Assembly by-elections would not make any difference in Gujarat Assembly, but it has been seen as prestige issue for the Gujarat CM as first time big ticket elections are being contested under her leadership. Even if the Congress would win four seats, it would boost the morale of party workers.”
At present the Congress’ strength in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly is 54, against its arch rival BJP’s 117 seats. Two seats are with Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party and nine seats are vacant. By-elections are to be held on these vacant seats — Tankara, Khambhalia, Mangrol and Talaja in Saurashtra region, Anand, Matar and limkheda in Central Gujarat, Deesa in North Gujarat and Narendra Modi’s traditional Maninagar Assembly in Ahmedabad.
The saffron party is set to follow its tradition of taking opinion of local workers in selection of candidates for the assembly segments as well as Vadodara lok Sabha constituencies. “In next 2-3 days, the national BJP observers will visit all the nine Assembly segments and Vadodara. They will meet local workers and submit their reports to the BJP’s national parliamentary board, which will announce names of the candidates,” said Gujarat BJP general secretary Vijay Rupani.
Meanwhile, Model code of conduct came into effect immediately in the constituencies going for the bypolls. The notification for Assembly segments and Vadodara seat will be issued on August 20th and last date for the nomination is August 27. Scrutiny of nominations will be done on 28th August and last date of withdrawal of candidatures is 30th August. Date of poll is 13th September and on 16th September the result will be announced.As far as the prestigious Vadodara lok Sabha seat is concerned, the Congress has almost zeroed in on the name of Narendra Rawat.