BJP city chief, corporator 'fight' over Khadia ticket

AHMEDABAD: City BJP president Rakesh Shah and corporator Mayur Dave came to blows at the district collectorate here on Friday over the party nomination for the Khadia assembly seat bypoll. Minister of State for Law and Order Pradeepsinh Jadeja intervened and prevented a major incident.
On Friday as Bhushan Bhatt along with his supporters and Mayur Dave went to file his nomination, Dave and Shah had a heated argument over the allocation of the party ticket for the Khadia bypoll.Shah objected to the resolution adopted by the Khadia ward committee to only recommend Bhatt's name.
Khadia goes to the polls on February 14. The seat had fallen vacant following the death of Ashok Bhatt who represented the constituency for several years. Bhatt was speaker of the assembly when he died in September last year.
According to party sources, the Khadia ward committee's decision to only propose Bhatt's name had not gone down well with Shah. Sources said the president wanted to have his own candidate in Khadia. But this was opposed by the Khadia BJP and they forwarded Bhushan Bhatt's name. When contacted Shah denied the incident.
On Friday official candidates both of BJP and Congress filed their nominations. The Congress has fielded Jagat Shukla, a businessman who has been associated with the party.
Shukla's name was cleared at a meeting of senior party leaders presided over by state party president Siddharth Patel. To put up a tough fight to the BJP, the Congress has decided to hand over each of the 78 poll booths to a senior leader to mobilise party workers and voters and build an atmosphere in favour of the party.