In a seat with large number of Koli voters, BJP springs a surprise by replacing Koli MLA

With second list, BJP covers all 89 seats voting on December 1, while dropping 40 sitting MLAs so far

Written by Kamal Saiyed

Surat | Updated: November 13, 2022 08:41 AM IST

3 min read

Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Mansukh Mandaviya with BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh during the release of list of BJP candidates for Gujarat Assembly elections 2022. (PTI)

Two prominent figures are missing from the short, second list of nominees the BJP put out on Friday for the Gujarat Assembly elections in December.

This takes the total number of sitting MLAs dropped to 40 and the total number of BJP candidates declared to 166, in which, all 89 seats going to the polls on December 1 have been covered.

In Premium | BJP first list for Gujarat polls: Seniors pulling out, BJP ‘generational shift’ includes 17 Congress rebels

Of the six seats whose nominees were announced today, the names of Bhavnagar East MLA Vibhavari Dave, who was a minister in the Vijay Rupani Cabinet, and of Jankhana Patel, the sitting MLA from Choryasi, were missing. Sejal Pandya is the candidate for Bhavnagar East, while Choryasi goes to Sandeep Desai.

Not only is Choryasi the seat with the highest number of voters — five lakh — it also has a high number of Koli voters. Patel was a Koli, while Desai — the BJP Surat district president — is an Anahvil Brahmin. Party sources said there was anger in the area against the sitting MLA, among people of her own community. In comparison, Sandeep Desai, the current district BJP president who has completed two terms in the role, is popular due to his engagements with cooperative bodies like sugar, farmer, cooperative bank, and APMC etc., so he was chosen to fight his first election.

However, late afternoon on Saturday, some supporters of Jankhana Patel protested against the candidature of Sandip Desai in front of the Surat city BJP office. The party workers chanted slogans against Desai, saying they won’t accept a non-Koli candidate from Choryasi.

In 2017, Jankhana Patel had won Choryasi with a margin of over one lakh votes, defeating the Congress candidate Yogesh Patel. This year, the AAP has fielded Prakash Contractor and the Congress Kanti Patel from Choryasi, both Kolis.

Apart from Kolis, Choryasi has a large number of migrant voters from UP, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, etc., who have settled in Surat and are engaged as labourers in the textile industry.

Story continues below this ad

Also in Political Pulse | Packing a punchline: Why Modi’s ‘We Built this Gujarat’ has a familiar ring

Talking to The Indian Express, Sandip Desai said, “There were around 58 BJP leaders who had expressed interest in contesting from this seat before the party’s election observers. The party kept faith in me and I will work hard with my team and come out victorious.”

The BJP also nominated an old-timer and former MLA Mulu Bera. Bera has been in and out of the Assembly, having won in 1995 by a thin margin, as well as in 2007, while losing in 2002 and 2012. This time, he will contest from a new constituency, Khambhaliya. He last contested from Jamnagar North in 2012.

From Kutiyana, where the NCP has nominated sitting MLA Kandhal Jadeja, the BJP will be represented by Dheliben Odedara.

(With ENS Ahmedabad)

Kamal Saiyed

Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs. Expertise Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs. Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including: Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives. Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress. Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli). Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More

Tags:

Gujarat BJP Gujarat Polls 2022 Political Pulse