Bypolls will prove to be a test for me, says Gujarat CM

Ahmedabad, Aug 19: Gujarat Chief Minister Anandi Patel admitted on Tuesday that bypolls in nine Gujarat assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat would prove to be a test for her and asked BJP workers to ensure a win in all these seats.

Launching the campaign for bypolls by addressing women BJP workers in Deesa town of Banaskantha district today, Patel also looked confident to win the bypolls, which would be her first major challenge after becoming Gujarat Chief Minister.

"Yes, this is a test for me. The test is also for you (party workers). All of us have to win these by-elections," Patel said, addressing a crowd in Deesa, where bypolls will be held.

"These bypolls will be my second test after the recent civic body elections of Junagadh. Thanks to hard work by BJP workers, we have captured 42 (out of 60) seats. We have also captured ten other seats of different municipal corporations during the same time," Patel said.

Bypolls in nine Gujarat assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat, which will be be held on September 13 was necessitated due to nine BJP MLAs vacating their respective seats after they got elected to the Lok Sabha.

The Gujarat assembly seats where bypolls will be held are Anand, Limkheda (Dahod), Deesa (Banaskantha), Matar (Kheda), Maninagar (Ahmedabad), Talaja (Bhavnagar), Tankara (Rajkot), Khambhalia (Jamnagar) and Mangrol (Junagadh). The Vadodara Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to retain Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. As a sitting MLA, he also vacated the Maninagar assembly seat.

Kickstarting the BJP's poll campaign from Deesa, Patel also remembered Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked party workers to ensure victory to fulfill his mantra of a "Congress Mukt Bharat".

"Just like the people of Gujarat gave us all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state and made Gujarat 'Congress Mukt', we should now work towards ensuring victory in all seats where by-elections will be held. Our PM Narendra Modi has given us the responsibility to spread the Gujarat development model in every corner of country," Patel said.

"To maintain the flow of this journey of development, all BJP workers should now focus on winning all the seats in during the by-election," Patel said, during her speech. While addressing the women, Patel made an announcement that financial support would be provided to girls who wish to study to become IAS, IPS or IFS officers.

"The Gujarat government will give cash awards of Rs 60,000 to all girls who clear the preliminary exam and Rs 30,000 to girls who clear the final exam," Patel announced. She also announced that the her government would give an automatic milking machine to women who have more than five milk producing animals.

PTI