The AAP will be contesting from just one seat in Gujarat, after the party leaders from New Delhi asked the state unit to select one the 26 in Gujarat. It should be noted that the party had fought all 26 seats in 2014 and lost it and that the party’s state unity had expressed wish to fight from five seats, but eventually gave in to the Party high commands direction that one seat was enough. The party has filed Rajesh Patel from Mehsana.
“We had selected five seats from where we had planned to contest and put it before the leaders in New Delhi. The high command felt that it was better to focus on one seat where we were strong and had a good chance of winning,” said Kishore Desai, State president of the party.
Desai said they then zeroed in on Banaskantha, Mehsana or Junagadh.
“We have a strong leader in Bhima Chaudhary in Banaskantha who is also the vice-president of the party. But after he said no, we decided to go with Mehsana which was our second choice,” said Desai. Mehsana is believed to be a BJP stronghold that is Patidar dominated who despite the reservation agitation are strong supporters of the Saffron Party.
Patel when contacted said that unemployment among youth and issues of farmer are the top concerns. “I have been part of the gaam samiti that works to address various concerns in the district. There is high level of unemployment here and the biggest issue among farmers is Narmada water and farm insurance,” sad Patel.
He said though a substantial part of the Narmada canal passes through this constituency it does not get water from the same. “Even when the government declared drought hit areas, this area figured in the third list and not the first list and that too after severe lobbying by locals,” said Patel.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Rajesh Patel")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}