Gujarat: Ignored MLAs may make BJP suffer

Several Bharatiya Janata Party legislators in Gujarat, who have been denied a party ticket to contest the assembly elections, have started exploring options to fight the polls and Uma Bharti's Bharatiya Janshakti seems to have emerged as the favourite platform for them.

The BJP had on Sunday declared its first list of candidates for 75 constituencies that go to polls in the first phase of elections on December 11. The names of 13 sitting legislators were dropped from the list.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi will contest the polls from Maninagar constituency.

Wadhwan legislator Dhanraj Kella's (who has been denied a ticket) residence was flooded with his supporters on Sunday night after news poured in that he had been dropped.

"Thousands of my supporters came to my house and urged me to contest the elections. The support shown by them has given me the strength to fight the elections and I have decided to do that," Kella told PTI.

"I will most probably fight the election on a BJS ticket."

Rajkot-I legislator Tapu Limbasiya, who was also denied a ticket, said many MLAs are likely to fight the polls on BJS platform.

"Uma Bharti's party has decided to field 60 candidates and most of them will be those shown the door by the BJP," Limbasiya said.

The dissidence in the ruling BJP will intensify after the announcement of the list, Limbasiya said, adding that he had decided not to contest the coming elections, but will support the rebel BJP group.