<p>The BJP has decided to field the comparatively lesser-known Ranjan Ben Bhatt from the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat, vacated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to retain Varanasi.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The Vadodara Municipal Corporation deputy mayor will be pitted against city Congress chief Narendra Rawat in the September 13 bypolls. <br /><br />The other Lok Sabha by-elections will be in Mainpuri, necessitated as Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav vacated it in favour of the Azamgarh constituency. Prem Singh Shakya will contesting the elections on a BJP ticket here, in place of Shatrughan Singh Chauhan, who had lost to Yadav in this year's general elections.<br /><br />BJP chief Amit Shah cleared Bhatt’s name given her proximity to Modi. Barring her RSS background, she is not even considered a significant political player in Vadodara. Shah's decision reflects Modi's appointment of lightweights as Rajya Sabha members during the last few months of his stint as Gujarat chief minister.<br /><br />Speaking to Deccan Herald, an elated Bhatt said, “I had not even sought a ticket for the seat, but the party felt that a woman candidate should be given the ticket. I am elated at being provided such an opportunity.”<br /><br />For the bypoll to the Maninagar Assembly constituency too, small-time local corporator Suresh Patel, another political novice, has been given the ticket. This constituency, too, was vacated by Modi.</p>
<p>The BJP has decided to field the comparatively lesser-known Ranjan Ben Bhatt from the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat, vacated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to retain Varanasi.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The Vadodara Municipal Corporation deputy mayor will be pitted against city Congress chief Narendra Rawat in the September 13 bypolls. <br /><br />The other Lok Sabha by-elections will be in Mainpuri, necessitated as Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav vacated it in favour of the Azamgarh constituency. Prem Singh Shakya will contesting the elections on a BJP ticket here, in place of Shatrughan Singh Chauhan, who had lost to Yadav in this year's general elections.<br /><br />BJP chief Amit Shah cleared Bhatt’s name given her proximity to Modi. Barring her RSS background, she is not even considered a significant political player in Vadodara. Shah's decision reflects Modi's appointment of lightweights as Rajya Sabha members during the last few months of his stint as Gujarat chief minister.<br /><br />Speaking to Deccan Herald, an elated Bhatt said, “I had not even sought a ticket for the seat, but the party felt that a woman candidate should be given the ticket. I am elated at being provided such an opportunity.”<br /><br />For the bypoll to the Maninagar Assembly constituency too, small-time local corporator Suresh Patel, another political novice, has been given the ticket. This constituency, too, was vacated by Modi.</p>
