Overlooked aspirants contesting as Independents, declining to campaign for party candidates, or otherwise, lashing out at their parties - dissension is hitting all the parties in Gujarat ahead of next month's Assembly polls.
Three BJP rebels are contesting as Independent candidates, while a Congress MLA has resigned after being denied ticket, another is not going to campaign for the selected candidate, and a former MLA has alleged that party tickets are sold by the state chief.
After the ruling BJP did not nominate cooperative leader Mavji Desai from Dhanera seat, he called a supporters' meeting on Wednesday and announced to contest as an Independent. On Thursday, when he filed his nomination, thousands of supporters had joined the procession.
Turncoat Dhavalsinh Zala was denied ticket by the BJP, and he, too, has revolted against the party and filed candidature from Bayad seat. Madhu Srivastav, the sitting MLA from Vaghodia, will contest as an Independent.
Even in Congress, leaders have revolted. Petlad MLA Niranjan Patel resigned from the party's primary membership over denial of ticket, while Bayad MLA Jasubhai Patel, angry with party decision to drop him as candidate for veteran leader Shankersinh Vaghela's son Mahendrasinh, said that he will not campaign for the party's official candidate.
Congress's former MLA from Dehgam constituency Kaminiba Rathod has released an audio recording, alleging that stat unit President Jagdish Thakor took money to allot party ticket. Party spokesman Hiren Banker has refuted the allegations.
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In the Bharatiya Tribal Party, the storm has settled down, after Mahesh Vasava withdrew his candidature from Jhagadia seat. Now, its founder Chhotu Vasava will contest the elections as an Independent candidate. Vasava's other son Dilip too had withdrawn his candidature on Wednesday.
