BJP veterans choose to be ousted from Gujarat poll race

GANDHINAGAR: Amid speculation that senior BJP leaders and ex-ministers of the Vijay Rupani cabinet will not be fielded in the state poll, at least four leaders including former CM Rupani announced on Wednesday that they are not in the fray.
Former deputy CM Nitin Patel and former senior ministers Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Pradipsinh Jadeja made the same announcement. They all said that 'others' should be given a chance. The declarations came on the day the BJP parliamentary board met in New Delhi to finalize the names of candidates for the Gujarat election.
Speaking to TOI, Rupani said he wrote to the party leadership five days ago saying that he should not be considered for a ticket. "I worked as the CM for over five years and have been a party MP and MLA," Rupani said. "The party ought to consider another candidate as I have been entrusted with organization work in other states." Rupani represents the prestigious Rajkot (west) seat from where Narendra Modi too has won.
Six-time MLA Nitin Patel wrote a letter to state BJP president C R Paatil on Wednesday, saying that he was not running in this election. "Since 1977, the party has given me an opportunity to serve the people in different capacities. Please do not consider my candidature. I request the party not to consider my candidature," wrote Patel. He thanked PM Modi and the party's workers for their love and support.
In a complete overhaul last Sep tember, a year ahead of the state poll, the BJP high command had replaced the entire Rupani-led cabinet with a fresh team under Bhupendra Patel, a first-time MLA. This 'no repeat' political experiment was seen as an attempt by the BJP high command to shed the baggage of anti-incumbency the party could face after being in office for 27 years.
This theory received credence when the party assigned organization work to Rupani. In the run-up to the poll, it was widely believed that the axed ministers would not find favour with the high command which is more likely to back new faces.
More BJP leaders may opt out of election race
Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, who has handled education, panchayat, agriculture, and law and justice portfolios in the past, said he had communicated his desire not to contest the poll to Union home minister Amit Shah a year ago on October 27, 2021.
"I reiterated my intention in the recently held parliamentary board meeting as well," Chudasama said. "I have contested nine assembly elections and have been a minister for five terms. I am grateful to the party and will keep serving it." Chudasama, the Dholka MLA, added that he will perform any duty that the party gives him.
Former MoS home Pradipsinh Jadeja, who has won four elections and served as a minister for 12 years, said: "I have written to the party high command stating that I should not be considered for any ticket," he said.
Meanwhile party sources said some other senior leaders such as Kaushik Patel and former state BJP president R C Faldu may have opted out too. However, these leaders could not be reached.
However, some ex-ministers such as Saurabh Patel said they were unaware that their ex-colleagues were standing down. "In routine course, I have represented to be fielded as a candidate," former energy minister Saurabh Patel said.