BJP PATRIARCH SET TO SAIL THROUGH GANDHINAGAR TEST
Wednesday, 30 April 2014 | Nayan Dave | Gandhinagar
In a contest that could be his swansong from electoral politics, BJP veteran LK Advani is all set to retain his Gandhinagar constituency without any hiccup.
Advani first contested from Gandhinagar in 1991 and then went on to win from here with comfortable margin in 1991, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2009. Though the 86-year-old former deputy Prime Minister could not devote much time in his constituency owing to his public rallies across the country, he is unlikely to face any challenge from the Congress rival, Kirit Patel.
“The organisational structure of the BJP is so strong here that even in the absence of Advaniji, campaign activities went on flawlessly,” says Advani’s son Jayant, who along with his sister Pratibha, focused on Gandhinagar constituency in the absence of their father. However, Advani had been camping in Gandhinagar for the last three days till the campaign ended for the April 30 elections.
Of the seven Assembly segments in Gandhinagar, four are part of Ahmedabad city — Ghatlodia, Vejalpur, Naranpura and Sabarmati. All these four seats have been won by Modi loyalists. Ghatlodia MLA Anandiben Patel is the Revenue Minister in Modi’s Cabinet and speculated to be the next Chief Minister in the event of Modi’s ascent to Delhi. Naranpura MLA is Modi’s confidant Amit Shah, who has been given charge of Uttar Pradesh in view of the Lok Sabha elections. The saffron party won Gandhinagar seat with narrow margin last time. But the cause of concern for the BJP is two seats — Kalol and Sanand — which went to the Congress in 2012.
Despite jet speed development post-Nano project in Sanand, the Congress could manage to win in the Assembly elections.BJP’s Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in-charge Pravin Patel says that it was because of Advani that more than 40 trains were given to Gujarat during the NDA Government. “He played instrumental role in constructing flyovers on busy Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway under JNNURM. A solid waste management project is recently kicked off in the Gujarat’s capital due to his efforts,” Patel added.
Despite the fact that the senior BJP leader is contesting for sixth time from the same constituency, anti-incumbency factor has not been an issue. “Apart from the Modi wave, LK Advani is a well-read politician having clean image. His long association with Gujarat proved beneficial for the State,” said 71-year-old Dhiraj Halani, a businessman.Another septuagenarian businessman in his constituency HH Patel says that he Advani seems to have utilised MP grants on regular basis as libraries, gymnasium, community halls and bus-stations, etc, are visible in the area.
Kirit Patel, a loyalist of former Union Minister for Textile Shankersinh Vaghela, belongs to Leuva Patel community. “Unlike him (Advani), I am a local candidate. He has won five terms but is not available to listen to people’s problems. Even his importance within his party has reduced,” says Kirit.Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party has fielded 47-year-old real-estate developer and RTI activist Ruturaj Mehta, a resident of Gandhinagar.
Though, he doesn’t have chance to win, Mehta definitely would eat up some urban votes, but it is not going to affect the results.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/bjp-patriarch-set-to-sail-through-gandhinagar-test.html
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MODI WAVE MAKES JR ADVANI’S CAMPAIGN JOB EASIER
Tuesday, 15 April 2014 | Nayan Dave | GANDHINAGAR
Unprecedented popularity of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is literally transforming Jayant Advani’s election campaign into a cakewalk. Jayant, the 48-year-old son of veteran BJP leader LK Advani, feels that campaigning in his father’s constituency for 2014 general elections is rather easy compared to previous poll campaigns he did for the former Deputy Prime Minister.
Singing in his father’s tune, junior Advani claims that the voters have already made up their mind in favour of Modi so eventually, the poll campaign has become extremely easy. Jayant, who has taken over the charge of his father’s campaign from April 10, is currently in Ahmedabad along with his wife Gitika and three-year-old daughter Navya.
The advertisement professional, had played a key role in the absence of his illustrious father’s poll campaigns for Gandhinagar constituency during 1991, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
He considers 1991 poll campaign in Gandhinagar constituency the hardest ever. It was the first election that Advani contested from his traditional Gandhinagar constituency. Jayant is conducting door-to-door campaigns as well as important group meetings in Gandhinagar constituency along with local BJP leaders.
“I am campaigning for at least 10 hours a day in various parts of Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. Since Advaniji is busy in other parts of the country, I and other BJP workers have a greater responsibility in his absence,” he said while talking to The Pioneer.
At the time of filing his nomination papers, Jayant had discussed key issues related to Gandhinagar constituency with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Though he is campaigning for his father, he strictly follows the poll campaign programme to include route given by the party.
BJP leaders in Gujarat including senior Gujarat Minister Anandiben Patel, Ahmedabad mayor Minaxiben Patel, Harinbhai Pathak and hundreds of BJP workers are accompanying me to ensure Advaniji’s victory, he said adding that he is putting extra efforts for higher voters’ turnout in the constituency.
LK Advani’s daughter Pratibha kicked off BJP’s campaign in Gandhinagar. Now, Jayant has taken over the campaign charge from his sister as she went to Delhi for 3-4 days. “She will come back and I will take two days break. However, from 27th April onwards his father will also remain present till the date of voting — 30th April. He is also expected to address a public rally in Gujarat during the period,” he said adding that in between Advani will come for a day and hold a road show on April 16.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/modi-wave-makes-jr-advanis-campaign-job-easier.html
GRAND WELCOME FOR ADVANI’S ROADSHOW
Monday, 14 April 2014 | Nayan Dave | BAVLA (Gandhinagar)
Sporting in red Gujarati turban in a largely attended roadshow, former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani received a grand welcome from his traditional constituency — Gandhinagar on Sunday. Only speaking once during the roadshow, he termed Manmohan Singh as the weakest ever Prime Minister in the history of India in the backdrop of recently released book of Singh’s former media adviser.
Speaking on the book ‘The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh’ written by the PM’s former media adviser Sanjay Baru, BJP’s 86-year-old patriarch said the book had only authenticated what the entire world already knew.
“Generally the Prime Minister is considered the most powerful man in any democracy. Even those PM who ruled for two to six months were more powerful than Singh,” he opined. “I have sympathy for Singh, in fact I pity him,” he added.
Accompanied by Gandhinagar constituency in-charge and Gujarat’s Revenue Minister Anandiben Patel, his son Jayant, close aide and former Union Minister Harin Pathak and other Gujarat BJP leaders, he kicked off the roadshow from highly industrialised Bavla area. The octogenarian leader appealed the electors to reconsider him for the seventh time from Gandhinagar constituency.
“I have participated in all 15 Lok Sabha elections of the nation since the year 1952, but the 16th edition of general elections (2014) is unprecedented. The country has given mandate the Congress-led UPA Government to leave even before going to vote,” said Advani.
On a question from mediapersons over his role in case BJP comes to power, Advani said that he would be happy to accept any role that party would offer him. He also claimed that BJP would gain immensely from Southern States too. “I was in Kerala on Saturday and could sense BJP wave there also,” he asserted. He said that he would come back to his constituency after a couple of days as he would travel to Bihar for campaigning. Later in the evening, the veteran leader also inaugurated two election offices at Kalol and Gandhinagar and addressed a gathering of youngsters at both the places.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/grand-welcome-for-advanis-roadshow.html
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