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Daily News & Analysis
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Will bahu get BJPs Vadodara LS ticket?
The constituency had earlier elected celebrity Dipika Chikhalia
Maulik Buch. Vadodara
Will the most famous 'bahu' (daughter in-law) of Indian television, Smriti Irani, be Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from Vadodara in the next Lok Sabha elections? The polls may be some distance away, but the city is agog with speculations that Irani may well get the party ticket from a constituency that has been a favourite with celebrities from the tinsel town.Dipika Chikhalia nee Topiwala, the once reigning queen of TV after Ramanand Sagar's mega serial 'Ramayan', had contested, and won, the then Baroda seat on the BJP ticket in 1991. Incidentally, it was Irani who played the role of Sita when BR Chopra made Ramayan for TV some years later.The BJP office in Vadodara, the cultural capital of the state, is excited about the speculations of the celebrity actress being a party candidate from here. As far the party cadres are concerned, they appear quite enthusiastic to the idea of having Irani as the party candidate for the LS polls.What has intensified the speculations is the report that the actress has recently purchased a property in Karelibaug area of Vadodara. This 'news' has added to the excitement of the BJP workers who link this with the actress's desire to make Vadodara her political base. A senior BJP leader said, "Smriti Irani has family connections with Vadodara. We still remember an instance during the last LS elections when Smriti came to Vadodara and stayed at a relative's house rather than checking into a hotel." Talking to DNA, BJP spokesperson Shabdsaran Brahmbhatt said, "We are not aware about possibility of Smriti Irani contesting the next LS elections from Vadodara. It is the party high-command who select the candidates, and I will rather not make any speculation in this regard."It's not only the BJP office which is discussing the possibility of Smriti Irani contesting from Vadodara, the Congress workers are equally busy speculating the matter.A senior Youth Congress leader told DNA, "BJP may spring a surprise by fielding a celebrity from here in the next elections. The party had lost many seats in Central Gujarat in the recent assembly elections and it may just have pressed the panic buttons in the party. I will not be surprised if the BJP may decide to ride on Smriti's popularity to win the Vadodara seat."Another Congress leader Chirag Zaveri said, "We will be happy if Smriti becomes the BJP candidate from Vadodara. The Barodians have earlier experienced the performance of Deepika Topiwala as an MP. They will never repeat the mistake and definitely prefer a local candidate over a celebrity."
Daily News & Analysis
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Will bahu get BJPs Vadodara LS ticket?
The constituency had earlier elected celebrity Dipika Chikhalia
Maulik Buch. Vadodara
Will the most famous 'bahu' (daughter in-law) of Indian television, Smriti Irani, be Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from Vadodara in the next Lok Sabha elections? The polls may be some distance away, but the city is agog with speculations that Irani may well get the party ticket from a constituency that has been a favourite with celebrities from the tinsel town.Dipika Chikhalia nee Topiwala, the once reigning queen of TV after Ramanand Sagar's mega serial 'Ramayan', had contested, and won, the then Baroda seat on the BJP ticket in 1991. Incidentally, it was Irani who played the role of Sita when BR Chopra made Ramayan for TV some years later.The BJP office in Vadodara, the cultural capital of the state, is excited about the speculations of the celebrity actress being a party candidate from here. As far the party cadres are concerned, they appear quite enthusiastic to the idea of having Irani as the party candidate for the LS polls.What has intensified the speculations is the report that the actress has recently purchased a property in Karelibaug area of Vadodara. This 'news' has added to the excitement of the BJP workers who link this with the actress's desire to make Vadodara her political base. A senior BJP leader said, "Smriti Irani has family connections with Vadodara. We still remember an instance during the last LS elections when Smriti came to Vadodara and stayed at a relative's house rather than checking into a hotel." Talking to DNA, BJP spokesperson Shabdsaran Brahmbhatt said, "We are not aware about possibility of Smriti Irani contesting the next LS elections from Vadodara. It is the party high-command who select the candidates, and I will rather not make any speculation in this regard."It's not only the BJP office which is discussing the possibility of Smriti Irani contesting from Vadodara, the Congress workers are equally busy speculating the matter.A senior Youth Congress leader told DNA, "BJP may spring a surprise by fielding a celebrity from here in the next elections. The party had lost many seats in Central Gujarat in the recent assembly elections and it may just have pressed the panic buttons in the party. I will not be surprised if the BJP may decide to ride on Smriti's popularity to win the Vadodara seat."Another Congress leader Chirag Zaveri said, "We will be happy if Smriti becomes the BJP candidate from Vadodara. The Barodians have earlier experienced the performance of Deepika Topiwala as an MP. They will never repeat the mistake and definitely prefer a local candidate over a celebrity."
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