BJP, Cong may delay naming candidates for Rajkot seats

RAJKOT: With both the Congress and the BJP caught in severe infighting as far as the naming of candidates for Rajkot-1 and Rajkot-2 seats is concerned, the two parties may now delay naming their candidates, at least, for the first list to be announced soon after ''Labh Pacham''.
According to senior leaders of both the parties, the names of the candidates for these two seats may either figure in the second list or the third list, if a need arose to accommodate some of the names.
While things look smooth when it comes to the Rajkot-3 seat which is a reserved seat, the list of probables for the Rajkot-1 and Rajkot-2 was getting murkier with each passing day making the task of selecting candidates a lot more difficult. Both the parties have almost five to six eligible candidates for each of the two seats and the situation was such that if one was selected the other may opt to become a rebel.
The Congress is, however, caught in a tricky situation as far as the Rajkot-3 seat is concerned. With the sitting BJP legislator Madhu Babaria''s performing badly, the chances of Congress have brightened. For the congress party Shanta Chavda was the ideal choice due to her good hold over the electorates.
But the Congress leadership was trapped. Another woman candidate Kashmira Nathwani, was desperately trying to get a ticket for the Rajkot-2 seat and she is said to be close to the Congress President Shankersinh Vaghela. If that happens, the Congress would axe Shantaben as two women candidates cannot be accommodated. In that case the Congress would give the Rajkot-3 seat on a platter to the BJP.
Rajkot -2 seat from where Narendra Modi won the by election last time is a hot favourite with both Vajubhai Vala and Vijay Rupani. However, Modi is not keen on giving the ticket to Vajubhai for his large scale corruption, and same is the case with Rupani. However Rupani being close to RSS leader Pravin Maniar, he is trying to use that to his advantage. On the other hand, Modi and Maniar are not on good terms and hence it is now to be seen how much Modi gives in to the RSS leader.
The chief minister also seems keen to clip the wings of Keshubhai and hence it is another reason why he will not give a ticket to Vajubhai who is supposedly close to Keshubhai. In that case the Rajkot seat would become a bone of contention.
As far as the Congress is concerned, the Rajkot -2 the race was between Kashmira Nathwani and Dr Hemang Vasavada. Kashmira being a former RJP candidate and a close aide of Vaghela, she is supposedly the front runner. But Kashmira has previously lost the elections twice and hence may be axed.
The real trouble for BJP seems to be the in Rajkot-1 seat. The reason being the fact that there are as many as five candidates vying for the same ticket. The vying people include Yuva BJP leader Jitu Mehta, former standing committee chairman Dhansukh Bhanderi, Govind Patel and Rupani who has also thrown in his hat.
On the other hand the congress too is facing the same problem. In case Mayor and city unit president Ashok Dangar is to contest the election from Rajkot-1 his bitter colleague Manohersinh Jadeja would ensure his defeat and vice-versa. The Congress is even planning to ask an old timer Mansukh Joshi, to contest the elections in which case the party would give away the seat to the BJP as Joshi has no followers.