BJP announces list for 2nd phase, Shah to contest

Despite Modi's Sadbhavna campaign, no candidate from minority community gets ticket

Former minister of state for home Amit Shah, who is accused in two fake police encounter cases, has been give a mandate by the BJP to contest assembly polls from Naranpura seat in Ahmedabad.

His name was announced in the list of 89 candidates announced by the BJP for the second phase of assembly elections in 95 seats scheduled on December 17. Five names by the BJP are likely to be announced later.

Interestingly, despite Chief Minister Narendra Modi's talks on Sadbhavna and communal harmony, not a single candidate from the minority community was given ticket by the party. Most of the sitting MLAs have been repeated by the BJP.  Even for the first phase the party has repeated most of the sitting MLAs.

Shah a sitting MLA is accused in Soharabuddin Sheikh and Tulsi Prajapati fake encounter cases. He is a close aide of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

In September, Shah had returned to Gujarat after a gap of two years, following the Supreme Court judgement allowing him to enter the state, rejecting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea to cancel the bail granted to him in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case.

The CBI has, in its chargesheet, named Shah as the kingpin in Sohrabuddin and Tulsi Prajapati encounter case. Recently, acting on a petition filed by Shah, the Supreme Court had stayed all the proceedings in the Prajapati case.

Shah is vice president of Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) and executive member of Central Board of Cricket Ahmedabad (CBCA).

Another senior minister in Modi cabinet, Anandi Patel will be contesting from Ghatlodiya, considered to be strong hold of Patel community, in the city. Also, the minister of state for industries Saurabh Patel had changed his constituency from Botad to Akota in Vadodara.

Meanwhile,  Congress Vice President Girish Parmar who joined the BJP on Wednesday was given ticket from Danilimda seat in Ahmedabad by his new party. Parmar had left the Congress for not giving representation to dalits during ticket allocation. Danilimda is a reserved SC seat. 

The two-phase Gujarat elections will be held on December 13 and 17. The counting of votes will take place on December 20.