BJP and Congress face dissent and rebellion over choice of candidates for Gujarat poll

Both parties engage in damage control exercises, giving into popular demand in a few seats even as other remain contested

The ruling BJP and opposition Congress, whose leaders are engaged in candidate selection in the State, are facing dissidents in several seats. While the ruling party is yet to name 16 candidates for the crucial seats in Ahmedabad and North Gujarat, the Opposition party has not named more than 30 candidates for Central and North Gujarat regions.

The BJP faces dissidence and rebellion by party cadre in around a dozen seats in South Gujarat and Saurashtra.

On Monday, more than 1,000 supporters of former MLA Dhawal Zala arrived at the State BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar, demanding that Mr. Zala be declared as the candidate for Bayad seat in North Gujarat. The party has selected former MLA Bhikhiben over Mr. Zala.

Similarly, supporters of former minister Ranchhod Rabari held a show of strength in Patan, demanding nomination for Mr. Rabari after the local media reported that the former minister was unlikely to be fielded by the party, which is yet to name the candidate for Patan.

The Congress, on its part, had angry workers rush to the party headquarters in the city after it released the candidate list late Sunday night. The party workers demanded changes in several seats like Vatva in Ahmedabad city.

On Sunday, both BJP and Congress were forced to change the candidates for Vadhwan and Botad seats.

The BJP had first announced Jignaben Pandya for the Vadhwan seat in Saurashtra but supporters of Jagdish Makwana, an OBC leader and Surendranagar district BJP president, held protests, forcing the party to replace Mr. Pandya with Mr. Makwana.