Ahmedabad, 26 February - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ramped up its preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat, with inspectors deployed to all 26 Lok Sabha seats to assess potential candidates. The process, which began on Monday, will continue through Tuesday, as the party aims to finalize its candidates ahead of the polls.
Three inspectors have been assigned to each Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat, comprising former ministers, former MLAs, current government ministers, and state party officials. These inspectors have already begun the process of understanding the intentions of potential candidates, gathering vital information for the party's decision-making process.
Following the assessment process on Monday and Tuesday, the Gujarat BJP Parliamentary Board is scheduled to meet at the Chief Minister's residence on Wednesday. Subsequently, panels of three inspectors each will be formed for all seats, and the final list of candidates will be submitted to the Central Parliamentary Board meeting in Delhi on February 29.
In Gandhinagar, the process of candidate selection has already begun, with candidates presenting their claims at the GSC Bank Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, in Rajkot, the census process commenced at the city office Kamalam, with Rajya Sabha MP Mayank Nayak overseeing the proceedings.
In Surat, where Union Minister of State for Railways Darshana Jardosh currently holds office, former BJP city chief Nitin Bhajiawala (Thakar), former standing committee chairman Mukesh Dalal, and former MLA Dhiru Gajera have expressed their interest in contesting from this seat.
Similarly, in Vadodara, the census process for the Manubhai Tower BJP office in Sayajiganj was initiated on Monday.
For the Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha seat, the census process took place at Nicole's Kothia Hospitality. Ministers Mulubhai Bera, Bharat Bodhra, and Sangeeta Patil were assigned as inspectors for this seat, currently held by Hasmukh Patel. Additionally, former state Home Minister Pradeep Singh Jadeja is also eyeing the ticket for Ahmedabad East and Kheda seats.
In a strategic move, BJP is considering fielding Union Ministers Parsottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya as candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. Both ministers were not nominated to the Rajya Sabha this time, leading to speculation about their potential candidacy.
Ahead of the official announcement of Lok Sabha election dates, BJP has initiated intermediary election offices in all 26 seats of the state. Moreover, inspectors have been informed of their assignments via phone, enabling them to swiftly begin their duties in the respective districts.
