 "Gujarat BJP wants Modi to contest from the state, too")
The Gujarat unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Thursday that besides Varanasi, the party’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi would contest from one constituency in the state, while senior leader L K Advani would retain his Gandhinagar seat.
The announcement from the Gujarat BJP comes in the wake of reports suggesting Advani might contest from Bhopal. Notably, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and former member of Parliament from Bhopal Kailash Joshi, who opted not to contest this time on grounds of old-age, had also suggested Advani’s name for Bhopal.
“The state parliamentary board will be recommending the name of Advaniji for Gandhinagar seat to the central election committee, which meets tomorrow (Wednesday),” said Gujarat BJP spokesperson Vijay Rupani. “Taking into consideration the demand from workers and people from across the state, we will also be recommending that Modiji contest from one seat from Gujarat besides Varanasi,” he added.
The fifth list of BJP candidates will be declared on Wednesday in which Gujarat and Rajasthan will be taken up along with the 22 remaining seats of Uttar Pradesh and five seats of Madhya Pradesh.
Gujarat goes to the polls on April 30.
The announcement from the Gujarat BJP comes in the wake of reports suggesting Advani might contest from Bhopal. Notably, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and former member of Parliament from Bhopal Kailash Joshi, who opted not to contest this time on grounds of old-age, had also suggested Advani’s name for Bhopal.
“The state parliamentary board will be recommending the name of Advaniji for Gandhinagar seat to the central election committee, which meets tomorrow (Wednesday),” said Gujarat BJP spokesperson Vijay Rupani. “Taking into consideration the demand from workers and people from across the state, we will also be recommending that Modiji contest from one seat from Gujarat besides Varanasi,” he added.
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Last month, Advani had shown willingness to re-contest from Gandhinagar, a seat he has represented since 1991. Advani has won from the Gandhinagar seat in 1991, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2009. During the general elections in 2009, when he was the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate, Advani won with a margin of 120,000 votes, defeating nearest rival Suresh Patel from the Congress.
The fifth list of BJP candidates will be declared on Wednesday in which Gujarat and Rajasthan will be taken up along with the 22 remaining seats of Uttar Pradesh and five seats of Madhya Pradesh.
Gujarat goes to the polls on April 30.