Junagadh is the only Lok Sabha constituency where the BJP has yet to declare its candidate. Jasubhai Barad of Congress is the sitting MP here.
Around 500 people belonging to Koli community, including many Koli leaders from Saurashtra, met Hira Solanki, Rajula MLA and younger brother of minister of state for animal husbandry Purshottam Solanki, on Monday and requested him to contest Lok
Sabha elections from Junagadh seat on BJP ticket.
Junagadh is the only Lok Sabha constituency where the BJP has yet to declare its candidate. Jasubhai Barad of Congress is the sitting MP here. The BJP believes Junagadh to be a strategically important constituency and is looking for a strong candidate who can take on Barad, a formidable local leader. The seat is dominated by Koli and Patel community. The BJP, according to sources, is considering the names of Hira Solanki, Dinu Solanki, GP Kathi and Bhavna Chikhalia for fielding from the constituency.
On Monday morning, a large number of Kolis reached Hira Solanki’s Gandhinagar residence to persuade him. He, however, told the supporters that he was not too keen to contest the Lok Sabha election and wanted the party ticket to go to a Koli worker.
Gopal Mewada, president of Kodinar Koli Sena, said, “We had come to persuade Hirabhai to contest Lok Sabha elections from Junagadh. We will now meet the party president to discus the possible candidate from Junagadh seat.” Later, Hirabhai said, “I am highly obliged that the community is backing me so strongly and showing its love for me. But I have not made a claim for the Lok Sabha ticket or represented myself as a possible candidate. The community want to see me as an MP and that is encouraging for me, but I don’t want to contest Lok Sabha elections, not yet."
With Hirabhai Solanki showing his unwillingness for the contest, the party may possibly think of Kodinar MLA and powerful Karadiya Rajput leader Dinubhai Solanki or former MP Bhavnaben Chikhalia as the candidate from Junagadh.
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