Gujarat polls: BJP drops 13 MLAs from first list

The BJP, seeking to retain power in Gujarat by overcoming anti-incumbency, tonight dropped 13 sitting MLAs as it announced the first list of 75 candidates for the two-phase Assembly polls in Gujarat next month.

The list, declared by the party after a meeting of the central election committee, included Chief Minister Narendra Modi from Maninagar constituency (which goes to poll in the second phase of polling on December 16) and 74 other candidates for the first phase of Assembly elections on December 11.

BJP spokesman Ananth Kumar said the party decided to field 20 new faces in the coming polls.

Out of the 20 MLAs dropped, Kumar said, two had voluntarily opted out, while five had left the party. The remaining 13 were not given renomination due to the anti-incumbency factor working against them, he added.

"This (nomination to 20 new faces) will infuse fresh blood and augurs well for the party. We have considered winnability and their acceptability among our cadre and people," he added.

The list also includes 13 women, six Scheduled Caste and 17 Scheduled Tribe candidates.

The 14 districts in South Gujarat (29), Saurashtra (52) and Kutch (6) are going to the polls in the first phase. The saffron party has given tickets to all the ten ministers from the region.

The central election committee meeting was chaired by BJP president Rajnath Singh and attended by senior party leaders L K Advani, Jaswant Singh, Arun Jaitley, M Venkaiah Naidu and Modi besides others.