Doctors bring life to Kathiria's campaign

Union minister of state for heavy industries and candidate from the Rajkot Lok Sabha constituency, Vallabh Kathiria, has roped in the medical fraternity to garner votes for him.

Rajendra Trivedi, president of the Rajkot chapter of the Indian Medical Association, said doctors visited all the villages of the constituency and provided treatment to patients.

"This is a mark of the medical fraternity's support to a doctor, irrespective of the party. Kathiria just happens to be a BJP candidate. We would have supported any candidate who is a doctor," he said.

BJP has renominated Kathiria, a medical practitioner, from the Rajkot seat, while Congress and Nationalist Congress Party have jointly fielded NCP's Balvant Manvar.

Teams of doctors have organised medical camps in various parts of the constituency in support of Kathiria, who is seeking a third consecutive term from the seat.

"We had even opened an election booth at Yagnik Road in Rajkot to co-ordinate our efforts," Trivedi said.

As the campaigning for the polls came to a close on Sunday evening, it appears that BJP will face a tough fight in several constituencies of the Saurashtra-Kutch region.

Farmers in the region are unhappy over the delay in disbursement of crop insurance and non-availability of electricity.

The recent increase of electricity tariff for farmers is also an issue that might go against BJP candidates.

Disgruntlement seems to be riding high in the Amreli, Junagadh, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar constituencies and the only consolation for BJP is the Rajkot constituency.