BJP-Cong battle it out for 26 seats in Gujarat

Fate of 162 candidates will be sealed by nearly 3.34 crores voters as two major parties--BJP & Congress battle it out for 26 constituences in Gujarat, considered to be bastion of saffron party.

Fate of 162 candidates will be sealed by nearly 3.34 crores voters tomorrow as two major political parties--BJP and Congress battle it out for 26 constituences in Gujarat, considered to be the bastion of saffron party which presently holds 21 seats.

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Heavy security arrangements have been kept in place and adequate companies of both State Reserve Police and Central Reserve Police Force have been deployed for polling to be done at 36,826 booths including 10,000 that have been identified as sensitive.

Unlike the December 2002 assembly polls that were held in backdrop of Godhra train carnage and its aftermath when BJP rode on a strong Hindutva wave, its leaders this time sought a `decisive mandate' on development issues and achievements of five-year tenure of BJP-led NDA coalition under leadership of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

However, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi did unleash a flurry of attack on Congress president's Sonia Gandhi's Italian credentials and "foreign origin" and once stirred a controversy for "derogatory" references, which he described as "no-ball bowled during climax of a match".

BJP's 26 candidates include Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani seeking election for the fourth time and third in succession from his "favourite" Gandhinagar seat, which is likely to witness one of the most "one-sided" electoral combat.

Congress, which was completely demolished in the Hindutva storm during assembly polls, cut a sorry figure in campaigning for LS elections as its president Sonia Gandhi ploughed a lone furrow in her two visits. MORE

Apart from Advani, four other Union Ministers namely Harin Pathak (Ahmedabad), Kashiram Rana (Surat), Bhavna Chikhliya (Junagadh) and Dr Vallabh Kathiriya (Rajkot) are also the key candidates.

Prominent among the independent candidates is Vitthalbhai Pandya--the septugenarian father of slain BJP leader Haren Pandya, who is contesting against Advani in Gandhinagar.

Apparently facing dearth of "formidable" candidates and intense lobbying for tickets, Congress had to field four sitting MLAs, including two, who happen to be sons of former Chief Ministers of Gujarat.

Borsad MLA Bharatsinh Solanki, son of former External Affairs Minister Madhavsinh Solanki and Tushar Chaudhary, son of Leader of Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhary are contesting their maiden parliamentary elections from Anand and Mandvi respectively.

Tomorrow's polls will also decide how many women candidates out of the total 11 in fray make it to the Lower House with BJP fielding four and Congress only one.

Former Gujarat PCC chief Shankersinh Vaghela will also be a candidate to watch out from Kapadvanj constituency so would be his controversial "shakti dal"--the brigade of baton-weilding youths ho would be into booth management.

Apart from caste equations and local factors, the scorching heatwave sweeping the state is feared to cast a shadow on voter turn out and evidently Vajpayee, Advani and Modi have fervently appealed voters to brave the heat and excercise their franchise in large number.