PremiumWith the results of the Gujarat Assembly Elections starting to pour in, it is advantage Bhartiya Janata Party(BJP) according to the initial trends. Gujarat has been a BJP bastion for decades together. BJP is seeking its sixth term in office. The incumbent Chief Minister of the state Bhupendra Patel who is contesting from the Ghatlodia constituency will look to improve the party's tally from 2017 assembly election. Bhupendra Patel replaced Vijay Rupani as the chief minister in September 2021, a move that surprised many. He is the first-time MLA from the Ghatlodia constituency. He is renominated from the same seat.
Gujarat went to the 2022 assembly election with it being a triangular contest for the first time after Arvind Kejriwal Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) also decided to fight the assembly elections.
BJP decided to replace Vijay Rupani last year and appointed Bhupendra Pate as the Gujarat Chief Minister will have his task cut out to see that BJP continues its winning run in Gujarat.
Last month,senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Bhupendra Patel will remain the chief minister of Gujarat if BJP secures a majority in the Assembly elections.
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Amit Shah's statement makes it clear that Patel is the chief ministerial candidate of the BJP, which is eyeing the seventh consecutive term in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah. "If BJP gets a majority in Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel will be the next chief minister," Shah told CNN-News18 here.
Prior to the assembly election prominent BJP leaders like Gujarat assembly polls, former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, and senior party leader Bhupendrasinh Chudasama have said they will not contest the elections. Former state Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel will also not contest the polls.
Rupani, who was Gujarat's Chief Minister from 2016 to 2021, said he had conveyed to the party leadership that he will not contest the polls.
"I worked as Chief Minister for five years with everyone's cooperation. In these polls, responsibility should be given to new workers. I won't contest the poll, I sent letter to seniors and conveyed it to Delhi. We'll work to make the chosen candidate win," he said.
Chudasama said he had fought elections nine times in a row and others should get the opportunity.
"I will not fight Assembly elections, have expressed it to senior leader of party. I've decided other workers should get the opportunity. I've fought the elections nine times till now. I express my gratitude to the party," he said.
The BJP held a meeting of its Central Election Committee at BJP headquarters to finalise its candidates for Gujarat polls.
Congress is seeking to oust the BJP, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also making efforts to put up a strong performance in the polls.
*With inputs from agencies