The RSS, it seems, will not let down Kathiriaya. His victory margin will, however, be no where nearer to 3.5 lakhs in the last election. Chief minister Keshubhai Patel, for whom Rajkot has been the political background, would not let Rajkot go off the BJP list. The civic body in Rajkot has been under the BJP for 18. years like all other self governing institutions. So, Rajkot is BJP s prestige in Saurashtra, which has to be and will be maintained, of course, at any cost.
Power changes people, so they say.
This theory goes aptly for BJP s Chandresh Patel, who is contesting for his third consecutive term. His reported arrogance and attitude has distanced him from many of his own coterie. The man who defeated Urmila Patel with a whopping margin even when Chimanbhai Patel was the chief minister and had all access to power and authority has changed now and is hardly accessible to the people. This is being used effectively by Congress s Raghavji Patel, who is an MLA representing DhrolJodiya. The Congress had its own pangs with Daulatsinhji Jadeja and Mohammed Baloch trying to get nomination before Raghavji Patel s candidature was finally announced.