JOIN USThe by-election in Vadodara this time has been under constant media glare since the seat was vacated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
When Modi decided to contest from Vadodara it was clear that there would be no opposition. The sitting MP willing vacated the seat.
However, this time around it is not the same and the local unit of the BJP is trying hard to put across their choice of candidate to the party’s parliamentary board, rather than accept a candidate imposed upon them.
“The local unit of the party would want the name of a local person proposed, someone who has been in the party and workers would be enthusiastic to work in favour of such a candidate,’’ senior state party leaders told Deccan Herald.
Though several names are doing the rounds, party leaders said Samrajitsinh Gaekwad of the erstwhile Gaekwad family was one of the frontrunners from Vadodara. While the Gaekwads and Vadodara have been synonymous, the local unit of the BJP has been opposing his candidature pointing out that the party workers could not affiliate themselves with the royals.
The other names doing the rounds include Balu Shukla, who vacated the seat for Modi. Saurabh Patel, a cabinet minister in the Anandiben Patel government and also an MLA from Vadodara is also keen on contesting as he is seen as a close aide of both BJP’s president Amit Shah and Modi.