Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

With less than a month left ahead of the Gujarat assembly polls, both BJP and Congress seems to be engaged in the ‘who blinks first’ game for releasing the list of candidates for the first phase of polls on 9 Dec.

The last date to file the nominations for the first phase is 21 Nov and both the parties are yet to decide on their list of candidates. Or would it be right to say that they have finalized the list but are waiting for the other to open up first?

Not releasing the candidates or announcing the CM face in advance is not very new for the BJP. The party had adopted a similar agenda for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections held earlier this year.

BJP has been ruling in Gujarat for 22 years and even after so many years of reign, it might not be a very difficult task for the party to decide on its best possible candidates. But the party’s strategy of not continuing with the sitting MLAs is also well known. In 2007 when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister, he had denied tickets to 47 sitting MLA while in 2012, 30 MLAs were denied ticket. This year too, though being denied by BJP, the party is fearing anti-incumbency in the state and it wants to take every step cautiously.

Apart from this, BJP is also waiting for the Congress to release its first. Earlier it was reported that BJP had comprised of a special panel to decide on three probable candidates for each seat. The list would be then forwarded to the national parliamentary board to finalize one of the three probable candidates, but as for now, no show has been put up by the BJP.

The delay in the release of the candidate list has also left many hopeful BJP members cross fingered. The sitting MLAs are praying that they might not be shown the exit door, while the aspirants are waiting to be selected by the party.

BJP had adopted a somewhat similar pattern during the UP assembly polls, waiting until the last minute before announcing a list of candidates. The polls were held in Feb earlier this year and the party waited until the last Jan to announce the names for 403 seats in UP. It is also being speculated that BJP is also delaying the announcement as the party might be facing a tough time as a large number of powerful regional leaders were also pushing for tickets for their kin.

The party was facing the problem of the plenty and keeping in mind of the rising anti-incumbency and the rising popularity of Congress in Gujarat, BJP does not want to take any hasty decisions, especially with various caste equations playing a key role.

According to the sources, a meeting of the BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) was held in New Delhi yesterday to finalize candidates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with BJP party President Amit Shah and Union minister JP Nadda were present for the meeting. Following the discussion, BJP said that “though the party has finalized candidates for many seats, it will declare the list at an appropriate time.”

Not differing much with BJP, even Congress has not come up with its list of candidates for the first phase of elections when 89 seats will go for elections on 9 Dec. Congress was also likely to hold a meeting on Thursday to finalize the candidates, but nothing has been confirmed yet. However, Congress during the Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls had declared that the MLAs who have remained loyal to the party will get the tickets.

The second phase of elections will be held for 93 assembly constituency on 14 Dec. The results for both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections will be declared simultaneously on 18 Dec. Himachal Pradesh faced the assembly elections on 9 Nov.