Wanted: A candidate to take on Shankersinh Vaghela

If there is one question that is topmost on the minds of state Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and, to some extent, the central election managers of the BJP, is: Who will contest the Kapadvanj Lok Sabha seat against Shankersinh Vaghela.

Vaghela, who is leading the Congress' election campaign in Gujarat, was earlier a BJP strongman and is well aware of the Sangh's strategies. He is one candidate that the BJP wants to defeat at all cost.

Although BJP sources here were tight-lipped on the possible candidate to take on Vaghela, there were indications that the BJP was looking for a celebrity candidate, possibly a film star.

Party sources said the central leadership was finalising the candidate for the Kapadvanj seat. The party is also yet to announce the candidates for the Mehsana and Kheda seats.

"There are still no indications on who the BJP candidate will be for the Kapadvanj seat. All the three remaining candidates will be announced before March 21," said a party spokesperson in Ahmedabad.

BJP state unit president Rajendrasinh Rana said no candidate has been finalised for the Kapadvanj seat. "The Central Parliamentary Board will meet on March 21 and look into the possible names for all the three remaining seats. No name of any celebrity is finalised," he said.

Asked on the names that have been shortlisted for the seat, Rana said these will not be discussed before the CPB meet.

The voters for the Kapadvanj seat mainly comprise Kshatriyas and Thakores. Vaghela is himself a Khastriya. The Kapadvanj constituency in Kheda district, a Kshatriya bastion, sent Vaghela to the Lok Sabha with a winning margin of over 1.50 lakh votes in the last election.

In the last Lok Sabha election, Vaghela polled 4,13,198 votes while his Bharatiya Janata Party rival polled 2,47,000, giving Vaghela a win by a whopping 1,66,198 votes. Vaghela also campaigned extensively in the constituency for the Gujarat Assembly elections, which were held in December 2002.

In the last Assembly elections took place last December, 2002, BJP won most of the Assembly segments that fall under the Kapadvanj parliamentary constituency and its adjoining areas.

"But that is more because of its Hindutva agenda following the communal riots," commented a senior Congress leader.

However, BJP sources said that if this is a consideration, it would not be proper to bring in an outsider to contest the prestigious seat, rated as the second most prestigious after the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency from where Deputy Prime Minister, L K Advani will contest.