AHMEDABAD, 21 November 2002 — With Gujarat’s ruling Hindu extremist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announcing its first list of candidates for assembly elections, faction fighting in the party has spilled over to the streets.

Supporters of party leaders who were not allowed to contest the Dec. 12 ballot and opponents of some of those re-nominated have staged noisy protests in parts of the state. At least in one place, Godhra, the BJP has taken on the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The BJP announced its first list of 144 candidates Tuesday. Gujarat has a total of 182 assembly seats. The party has dropped 12 members of the dissolved assembly. Besides Chief Minister Narendra Modi, only one minister was allowed to change the constituency — Anandi Patel, a Modi loyalist. She represented Mandal in Ahmedabad. This time Anandi Patel has been nominated from Patan in north Gujarat. The BJP member from there, Mohan Patel, was dropped.

Hundreds of furious BJP workers from Patan have trooped into state capital Gandhinagar to voice their protest against Anandi Patel and the ouster of Mohan Patel.Said one BJP member: "Anandi Patel is an outsider. Her only qualification is that she is a Modi supporter. We want people’s person, not Modi’s, to represent our constituency."

Supporters of former Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya, a Modi critic, protested outside his residence in Ellisbridge constituency of Ahmedabad city as Pandya’s name did not feature in the first list.

Former BJP MP Gopalsinh Solanki sat on a fast in Godhra to oppose the likely candidature of former Bajrang Dal President Haresh Bhatt from the constituency. Though Bhatt has not been fielded, BJP workers feel he could be nominated. On the other hand, the VHP is hell bent on bagging Godhra, where the killing of 58 people in a train in February triggered three months of communal violence in Gujarat.

A VHP functionary said: "We don’t want any of the other 181 seats. But we are not ready to compromise on Godhra constituency.

Bhatt will fight and win from there." Hundreds of BJP workers also came to Gandhinagar from Deesa constituency in north Gujarat demanding that the party should nominate the outgoing legislator, Gordhanji Mali. There are reports that Mali may be dropped. Jamnagar city in Saurashtra too witnessed protests against the dropping of outgoing legislator Parmanand Khattar, a member of former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel’s Cabinet whom Modi did not include in his government.

Vasu Trivedi has been nominated as the BJP candidate in Jamnagar replacing Khattar. "I will ask the high command to review their choice for this seat. But I will obey their decision if they stick to it," Khattar said. But Khattar supporters were meeting to chalk out a strategy against Trivedi. There have also been protests against the dropping of some legislators.

Party activists in Naroda and Sarkhej constituencies of Ahmedabad are up in arms. Maya Kodnani, party president for Ahmedabad city, has been re-nominated from Naroda. This has sparked dissent against here. There is also anger against the re-nomination of Amit Shah from Sarkhej.

BJP leaders admit that dissidents may spoil the chances of likely winners.

The only consolation for BJP is that there is trouble in the rival Congress party camp too, although dissidence there appears to be much less.

Many Congress workers protested the nomination of Naishadh Desai from Surat (West). Scuffles have also been reported from Surat city. The Congress has announced 108 candidates. (IANS)