Saurashtra MP may get berth

Ahmedabad, Oct 12: The Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership is likely to induct an MP from Saurashtra in the Union Council of Minist...

Ahmedabad, Oct 12: The Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership is likely to induct an MP from Saurashtra in the Union Council of Ministers to replace former Union Minister A K Patel who lost the Lok Sabha elections to Congress. The names under consideration are Bhavna Chikhaliya from Junagadh, Vallabh Kathiria from Rajkot and Dileep Sanghani from Amreli.

Former Union Home Minister L K Advani and former Union Textiles Minister Kashiram Rana from the State will be retained in the Union Cabinet. A top party source indicated the party may even go in for a fourth person from the State, probably from Central Gujarat, as a reward for conquering what used to be a Congress bastion.

He clarified that while this was uncertain, the State would in all probability continue to have three ministerial representatives at the Centre even if there was a clamour from different constituents of the National Democratic Alliance for ministerial berths.

Party sources said while Saurashtra had never been granted ministerial representation at the Centre under a BJP Government, there are chances it may happen as the party has overcome quite a few hurdles in retaining its sway over the region during these elections. While there was infighting in the party over some seats in Saurashtra, the State Government had invited public wrath for its handling of the water crisis there.

The party not only lost the Surendranagar seat, but its margin dipped considerably in the region where the party never had to work very hard earlier. The party won the Kutch seat by just over 4,000 votes against its margin of 61,000 votes in 1998 and its margin in Amreli was 36,000 against a whopping 1.22 lakh votes last year. In Rajkot, the party8217;s winning margin last year was a mind-boggling 3.54 lakh votes against over 86,000 now. In all other seats in Saurashtra, the winning margin has almost halved.

8220;But the party has prevented what could have been a major debacle in Saurashtra. This is one reason to reward the region, while another is to strengthen the party in the region. After all, Saurashtra is crucial for BJP,8221; reasons a senior party leader, requesting anonymity.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya has ridiculed reports that State BJP president Rajendrasinh Rana has been tipped to be inducted into the Union Cabinet and also denied there were any recommendations on the issue. Pandya told Express Newsline on Tuesday that Rana or Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel never made recommendations before the Central leadership to include the State BJP chief in the Union Council of Ministers.

Story continues below this ad

On the contrary, Rana conveyed to the Central leadership his desire to continue in the party organisation in Gujarat, Pandya clarified. A section of the Press had carried reports that Rana8217;s name had been recommended by the State BJP leadership Rana himself is part of it for a ministerial berth.