Muslim ex-IPS to bat for BJP?

The BJP is believed to be thinking of fielding two prominent Muslim residents of Ahmedabad in the assembly elections later this year, from minority-dominated constituencies of the city.

Sources said that former DGP of Gujarat SS Khandwawala and retired IPS officer AI Saiyad are being considered for the Muslim-dominated Jamalpur, Shahpur, Kalupur and Sarkhej seats.

Besides belonging to the minority community, the former police officers have the image of being acceptable to the ruling party. Saiyad is already an active member of the BJP and, if sources are to be believed, Khandwawala will also be inducted into the party once his name is cleared.

Sources in the BJP said on the condition of anonymity that there is a good chance of Khandwawala being fielded from Jamalpur against Shabir Kabliwala of the Congress. The sources also said that Saiyad could be fielded either from Kalupur or from the redrawn Sarkhej constituency.

Bhushan Bhatt, son of former speaker of the Gujarat assembly late Ashok Bhatt, is currently the party’s MLA from Khadia constituency. Khadia was merged with Jamalpur after the recent delimitation exercise. Sources said that Khandwawala may be fielded in place of Bhatt as the constituency now has a sizeable number of Muslim voters.

When contacted for their comments, Khadwawala denied any possibility of his entering the poll fray and said that he had no plans to contest the elections.

Saiyad, however, said that he was an active member of the BJP and that he would accept whatever the party decides for him.
“I have given my consent for contesting the elections on the party’s ticket,” he said.

Sources in the BJP were unwilling to officially confirm that the party was planning to field the two Muslim residents of Ahmedabad in the upcoming elections. However, other sources said that the BJP did not want to leave anything to chance in constituencies which had a large number of minority votes.

In the 2007 elections, there were 12 assembly seats in Ahmedabad which have increased to 16 after the latest delimitation exercise.

The BJP had won 8 out of the 12 seats in 2007 and lost Kalupur and Jamalpur to the Congress. Sarkhej was the largest constituency of the state and was won by former BJP minister Amit Shah.

Sources said that this year, the BJP wants to field a Muslim candidate from Sarkhej where minority community members are in a majority after the delimitation.