PM Modi unlikely to contest from Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to contest election from Gujarat is spite of the demands from the BJP's state unit, a party leader here has said.

Modi had won from Vadodara and Varanasi in 2014 and chose to retain the latter.

As BJP president Amit Shah will be contesting from Gandhinagar, the chances of another national-level leader contesting from the state are very slim, a state BP leader said on the condition of anonymity.


"I do not think that they will field two national leaders from one state. There is no chance of Modi fighting from a seat in Gujarat," the BJP leader said.

State BJP leaders have requested Modi to contest from Gujarat to boost party workers' morale, especially in the aftermath of the 2017 Assembly elections when the Congress managed to restrict the BJP to 99 seats, lowest in two decades, and increased its own tally by 16 seats to 77 in the 182-member Legislative Assembly.

Till Tuesday, rumours were doing rounds in BJP circles that Modi was going to contest from Surat, but party sources said it was not true.

The BJP is yet to declare its candidate from Surat.

BJP's Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt, who won from Vadodra after Modi vacated it, is seeking re-election from the seat.

Gujarat will vote on April 23. The last date of filing nominations is April 4.