BJP faces dissent among ticket aspirants

Palanpur, Nov 24 (UNI) After the BJP released the third list of 83 candidates for the second phase of the Gujarat elections, to be held on December 16, dissent among the party's ticket aspirants was widespread in North Gujarat today.

The BJP released the third list in New Delhi last night.

''Dissent among the ticket aspirants from North Gujarat is increasing following the release of the third list of BJP candidates for the second phase of the assembly polls,'' according to Isawarbhai Makwana who was denied a party ticket from Jotana constituency in Mehasana district.

Mr Makwana said ''I will quit party with thousands of my supporters'' and added that the party would lose the seat.

Another aspirant and sitting BJP MLA, Prahladbhai Gosa, who had been replaced by Rushikesh Patel in Visanagar, said ''I am going to convene a meeting of my supporters at Visnagar on Monday.'' Annoyed by the party's decision, several workers openly gave vent to their discontent, saying the indiscriminate distribution of the tickets would cost dearly to BJP.

The denial of a ticket to Minister of the State for Water Supplies and Sewerage Board Harjivan Patel came as a jolt.

When contacted, Mr Patel declined to make any comment.

According to a supporter of the Minister, ''Last time, the party had to satisfy with two of total eight seats and this time the party will draw a duck in the district.

Following changes in both constituencies Palanpur and Dhanera where BJP had won, the caste equation have been upset.

In Palanpur, a former government servant Govindbhai Prajapati has been given the ticket at the cost of sitting MLA Kanti Kchoriya, while the parental constituency of Harjivan Patel is being fielded by Mafatlal Purohit.

According to sources in the party, both of them are less known in the district. Mr Prajapati hails from Vadanagar (the native place of Chief Minister Narendra Modi), while Mr Purohit, though belongs to Banaskantha, has been settled in Navasri.

UNI