Gurudas Kamat to announce Gujarat candidates 1 year ahead

AICC general secretary Gurudas Kamat is planning to announce the party candidates for the Gujarat Assembly in December, at least one year before the state Assembly elections. Mr Kamat, who is in charge of the party affairs in Gujarat and Rajasthan, will be calling extended PCC meetings in these states next month.

The Antony committee has recommended an early announcement of the party candidates in the states. Mr Kamat has already discussed this issue with the Congress high command and has been given a go-ahead. Selection of the candidates has always been a crucial issue for the AICC.

The Congress might have been losing Assembly elections in Gujarat but the Patel agitation for reservation, anti-incumbency and infighting in the ruling BJP could go in its favour. Though the Congress had performed well in the local body elections and is taking up inflation and corruption issues aggressively, it has been lacking a “face” in the state which will go to the polls without the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Congress might be recovering in rural Gujarat but it has to revive a killer instinct among its workers. If the BJP is backed by the RSS and its sister organisations, the Congress’ frontal organisations are not active.

The Congress expects the state Assembly polls in October-November next year. The BJP chief Amit Shah could camp in the state after the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Assembly polls to be held in the early next year.

Earlier, the Gujarat used to be the Hindutva laboratory of the BJP but now it has become the Modi land. Outcome of the Uttar Pradesh elections could have a bearing on the Gujarat polls.