AHMEDABAD, FEB 5: Following protests and demonstrations and ticket denials, the Gujarat Congress has been compelled to make some last minute changes in its list of candidates today on the last day of filing nominations.The biggest shock came from Porbandar where Congress nominee P G Kalaria, declared candidate for the Lok Sabha seat, changed his stand overnight and decided to field his nomination from Shankarsinh Vaghela's RJP.Besides, the Congress was also forced to change its candidates in four Assembly seats after these candidates reportedly declined to contest on the grounds that the party would fair poorly at the hustings.Dehgam seat was the first casualty, where the party was forced to replace its earlier candidate Kamlaben Rathod with Laxmansinh Chavda.
Similarly, on Dariapur seat, the party has replaced Rajkumar Gupta with Surendra Rajput. On Unjha seat, Kantibhai Patel has been replaced with former education minister Hasmukh Patel. And Bhiloda seat, Gidhad Uka has been replaced with KhemabhaiPatel. On Vaghodia seat, Jagdish Patel has been replaced with Pyarasaheb Vaghela.
Also, the party released the names of its candidates for six Assembly segments, which were withheld on Tuesday. These are Ruda Lavji (Kalawad), Hansaba Kshatriya (Kutiana), Harin Rawal (Ellisbridge), Jeetsinh Parmar (Padra), Kunwarji Halpati (Bardoli). For Surat North city, Suresh Patel and Dr Jhina Kheti (Surat north) have filed their nominations because the party could not decide till the end as to who should be given the ticket. Besides, the party also sprang a surprise by giving a ticket to Mukesh Gadhvi from Danta. Gadhvi is son of influential party leader B K Gadhvi, who is contesting on Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat. This is a sort of volte-face by the party as it had earlier maintained that two tickets would not be given in the same family.
RJP supremo Shankersinh Vaghela, too, gave his share of shock by fielding Samantsinh Solanki against B K Gadhvi from Banaskantha. Vaghela had publicly announced following thebreak-up with the Congress that the RJP would not prop a candidate against Gadhvi.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
