By IANS
Ahmedabad : Gujarat’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is to field 20 new faces in the first phase of the state assembly elections next month, but an analysis of the 2002 results shows that they have a tough task ahead.
The BJP central election committee cleared the first list of 74 candidates in New Delhi Sunday night.
In the first phase are nine constituencies that the BJP won with a margin ranging from 450 votes on the lower side to 7,340 on the higher side.
For example, in Rajkot-I newcomer Govind Patel will have to work hard to retain the seat for the BJP. The current incumbent, Tapubhai Limbasia, he is among those who have rebelled against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and has been axed.
The other constituencies are Mundra in Kutch, Rajkot Rural, Jodiya, Khambaliya, Keshod, Lathi, Bhavnagar North and Surat North.
Then there are 11 newcomers to contest from Dhoraji, Jamnagar Rural, Jamjodhpur, Porbandar, Mangrol, Una, Gadhada, Dediapada, Mahuva, Bardoli and Chikhli, where the Congress party won in 2002 with a margin ranging from a mere 73 votes to 23,397 votes.
In 12 constituencies – Anjar, Halvad, Dharangdhara, Rajkot II, Dhoraji, Kalavad, Talala, Kodinar, Dhari, Sihor, Mahuva and Jalalpor – the BJP has renominated its legislators to contest the polls, but they will have to work hard as they won last time with a margin ranging from 4,079 votes to 8,976 votes.
Some seats are expected to witness tough battles. Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala, who has represented Rajkot II for long, managed to win last time with a small margin of 8,515 votes.
In Dwarka, the seat was held by Prabhu Manek who quit the Congress to join the BJP. His victory margin in 2002, however, was only 5,650 votes.
In Vyara of south Gujarat, Manaharsinh Gohil of the BJP lost by 1,183 votes in 2002. But the Modi government has declared Vyara as a separate district and the party expects this move will help Gohil as well as other party candidates in the remaining constituency of the new district.