Power players in Gujarat

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela are two key players in the state politics.
CM has state under his spell
He is in charge of 78 seats in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman. A good show this time would ensure bigger role in national politics. A master-strategist, he has had his way in ticket distribution.Narendra Modi is eying a clean sweep in Gujarat by making deep inroads into the OBC base.
Ex-rebel could spoil BJP party
If there's any leader in the Congress who can take on Modi, it's Shankersinh Vaghela. After building BJP in Gujarat, he nearly demolished it with a rebellion in mid-90s. A crowd-puller, his role will go much beyond Panchmahals which he is contesting himself. He is busy wooing dissident BJP leaders into Congress fold.
Hot seats
Panchmahals | A new seat post-delimitation, it will see Shankersinh Vaghela in action. And Narendra Modi is ready to ambush him. Modi's decision to hold the R-Day function this year in Godhra was part of a political plan
Amreli | Once a hotbed of dissidence against Modi, the seat went to Congress by a narrow margin in 2004. Dissidence in BJP has ebbed. Congress has fielded Thummar's wife Nita. BJP has a fresh face, Narayan Kachiya
Kheda | Congress's Dinsha Patel had fought Modi in the 2007 assembly polls from Maninagar. No wonder, Modi would like to see Patel bite the dust. BJP has fielded former Congressman Devusinh Chauhan. This seat has the maximum influence of NRIs, a segment loyal to the Gujarat CM
Surat | The diamond industry, which employs nearly 500,000 workers in the city, is in the doldrums. Modi has replaced six-time MP Kashiram Rana with novice Darshana Jardosh. A spate of suicides by jobless polishers will remain the burning issue. Rahul Gandhi himself tried to tap the discontent by meeting some of them. Days later, Modi announced a relief package