Waghodia constituency poll battle is going to be tough for ruling Bharatiya Janata Party as its six-term MLA Madhu Shrivastav, who was not given ticket for the coming Gujarat Assembly elections, said on Thursday that he will contest as an independent if his supporters wished so.
After the BJP announced its list dropping sitting MLA, Shrivastav's supporters gathered in his constituency Waghodia and protested. The party has fielded Ashwin Patel from the constituency this time.
"Party workers want me to contest as an independent candidate and have assured me of victory....If they say I should contest as an independent, I will do so," Shrivastav told reporters.
Shrivastav first won from Waghodia constituency in Vadodara district in 1995.
He courted controversy for allegedly intimidating Best Bakery massacre witnesses in a post-Godhra riots case.
He was also in news for firing from his licenced revolver during a victory procession after the Baroda Dairy election.
BJP announces first list of candidates
The BJP oannounced the candidates' list for the forthcoming Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022. Chief Minsiter Bhupendra Bhai Patel to contest the elections from Ghatlodiya constituency. The party named its candidates for 84 of the 89 seats which will go to the polls in the first phase on December 1 and 76 of 93 candidates going to the polls in the second phase on December 5.
Names of Hardik Patel, the face of Patidar agitation in the 2017 assembly polls who later quit the Congress to join the BJP, and Rivaba Jadeja, wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, figure on the list.
Releasing the list, Union minister Bhupendra Yadav said the BJP has changed as many as 38 sitting members, claiming that most replacements have been made with the consent of the incumbents.
Yadav said the list includes 69 sitting MLAs besides 14 women, and 13 and 24 members from the Schedules Castes and Schedules Tribes respectively.
(With PTI input)
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