Even as Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani filed his nomination papers from Rajkot (West) on Monday and a day remains to file nominations for the first phase of polls, protests galored in Congress and BJP camps.
Elections to 89 seats in the first phase will be held on December 9. There are total 182 assembly seats. The second phase of election will be held on December 14.
Congress has so far released only one list while the BJP has released three lists.
Though 20 Patels have been accommodated in the Congress' first list, discontent was seen among the community leaders and some members of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders. Protests were staged at Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki's residence and in Surat.
Though two PAAS workers have made it to the Congress list, the group claimed that they were not consulted before giving tickets to their people.
There are rumours that even Solanki is not very happy. It is claimed that the Central Election Committee of the Congress did not pay much heed to his suggestions on whom to give tickets. Solanki, however, has denied that he is unhappy.
A few months ago, the Congress high command had clipped Solanki's wings by appointing four working presidents, something unheard in the Congress.
Protests galored also within the BJP, which calls itself a disciplined party. BJP's cadres staged protests in Ahmedabad for not giving ticket to a Gujarati from the Naroda seat.
Sitting MLA Nirmala Wadhwani was denied ticket and a Sindhi candidate will be fielded in this seat.
In North Gujarat, BJP MP Leeladhar Vaghela has demanded ticket for his eldest son Ashok. He threatened that if his son is denied ticket, he would resign from the party.
Sitting minister Vasuben Trivedi has also been denied ticket. Her place has been taken by party's former state chief R.C. Faldu. There has been discontent in the region.
Meanwhile, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will be on a three-day visit to the state beginning November 24. He will visit Somnath Temple, meet fishermen in Somnath and hold a road show in Ahmedabad.
