The psychological boost the Congress received from the by-elections in Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab this week was discernible in Sonia Gandhi’s overnight decision to clear Narendra Rawat’s candidature in the re-election for the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat vacated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rawat is head of the Vadodara unit of the Congress. He had actually been the Congress’ first choice to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from this constituency, after he won the primaries initiated by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. But he withdrew his candidature after the central leadership decided to field Congress general secretary Madhusudan Mistry against Modi. Mistry was trounced by Modi in the polls.
By-elections are scheduled to be held in the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat and nine Assembly constituencies in the state on September 13. On the same day, by-elections will be held in one Lok Sabha and 11 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, one Lok Sabha and one assembly seat in Andhra Pradesh, four assembly seats in Rajasthan, two in West Bengal and one each in Sikkim and Tripura.
Looking at Gujarat?
While all eyes are fixed on the by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP and Samajwadi Party are gearing up for a straight fight, sources say the Congress is looking to make gains in Gujarat, hoping to capitalise on Narendra Modi’s shift to the centre.
Additionally, the Congress hopes an improved performance in the by-polls in Gujarat will have an impact on the crucial assembly elections in the neighbouring state of Maharashtra, scheduled to be held be in October. As it stands, the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance looks to be heading towards a major electoral debacle in Maharashtra.
Resolving the infighting
Infighting started in the Gujarat unit of the Congress as soon as by-polls in Vadodara became a certainty. Some senior Congress leaders were in favour of fielding the former president of the Vadodara party unit, Suresh Patel. Another lobby was working towards obtaining the nomination for another local party man, Satyajitsinh Gaekwad.
Such was the infighting that the Gujarat Congress put forward the names of all three candidates for the Vadodara seat.
“Until yesterday [Monday], the fallout of each option was being weighed by the high command,” said a senior Congress leader who asked for anonymity. “The issue was not very big but the fear of dissension in the state party was certainly there. The decision to field Narendra Rawat from Vadodara indicates there will be a real fight.”
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Rawat is head of the Vadodara unit of the Congress. He had actually been the Congress’ first choice to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from this constituency, after he won the primaries initiated by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. But he withdrew his candidature after the central leadership decided to field Congress general secretary Madhusudan Mistry against Modi. Mistry was trounced by Modi in the polls.
By-elections are scheduled to be held in the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat and nine Assembly constituencies in the state on September 13. On the same day, by-elections will be held in one Lok Sabha and 11 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, one Lok Sabha and one assembly seat in Andhra Pradesh, four assembly seats in Rajasthan, two in West Bengal and one each in Sikkim and Tripura.
Looking at Gujarat?
While all eyes are fixed on the by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP and Samajwadi Party are gearing up for a straight fight, sources say the Congress is looking to make gains in Gujarat, hoping to capitalise on Narendra Modi’s shift to the centre.
Additionally, the Congress hopes an improved performance in the by-polls in Gujarat will have an impact on the crucial assembly elections in the neighbouring state of Maharashtra, scheduled to be held be in October. As it stands, the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance looks to be heading towards a major electoral debacle in Maharashtra.
Resolving the infighting
Infighting started in the Gujarat unit of the Congress as soon as by-polls in Vadodara became a certainty. Some senior Congress leaders were in favour of fielding the former president of the Vadodara party unit, Suresh Patel. Another lobby was working towards obtaining the nomination for another local party man, Satyajitsinh Gaekwad.
Such was the infighting that the Gujarat Congress put forward the names of all three candidates for the Vadodara seat.
“Until yesterday [Monday], the fallout of each option was being weighed by the high command,” said a senior Congress leader who asked for anonymity. “The issue was not very big but the fear of dissension in the state party was certainly there. The decision to field Narendra Rawat from Vadodara indicates there will be a real fight.”
