Gujarat polls: Morbi MLA among 5 ministers denied ticket in BJP's 1st list of candidates
Ahmedabad (PTI): Five Gujarat ministers including the MLA from Morbi are among 38 sitting BJP members of the Assembly who have been denied ticket by the party for the upcoming state elections.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment Brijesh Merja, the legislator from Morbi where a bridge collapse incident last month claimed 135 lives, is among those dropped from the list of 160 candidates whose names were announced by the BJP on Thursday.
Gujarat Assembly Speaker Nimaben Acharya, who won from Bhuj seat of Kutch district in 2012 and 2017, has also been denied ticket this time by the party.
The BJP on Thursday released its first list of 160 candidates for the two-phase elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly to be held on December 1 and 5.
The party has fielded Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel from his constituency Ghatlodia and dropped a number of sitting MLAs.
From the present cabinet, the BJP has denied tickets to state Parliamentary and Legislative Affairs Minister Rajendra Trivedi, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Pradip Parmar, MoS for Labour and Employment Brijesh Merja, MoS for Transport Arvind Raiyani and MoS for Social Justice and Empowerment RC Makwana.
Trivedi was stripped of the crucial revenue portfolio a few months back.
The 38 BJP MLAs who have been denied the ticket this time also include former CM Vijay Rupani and seven legislators who were part of his cabinet between 2017 and 2021 as ministers.
Rupani and his entire Council of Ministers were replaced by the BJP in September 2021.
A completely new cabinet was later formed under the leadership of CM Bhupendra Patel.
Those from the previous cabinet who have not been considered this time include ex-chief minister Rupani, former deputy CM Nitin Patel and former ministers RC Faldu, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Saurabh Patel, Kaushik Patel, Vasan Ahir and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.
Rupani and Nitin Patel had on Wednesday night announced they will not fight the next month's Assembly elections.
Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Pradeepsinh Jadeja -- who were ministers in the Rupani cabinet -- had also announced they will not seek tickets for the upcoming polls.
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India has more match-winners, its strength lies in middle and lower-order: Shahid Afridi
Dubai, Feb 21 (PTI): Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi firmly believes India is clearly the stronger side given that it has more match-winners compared to it's arch-rivals, and the best way to negate that advantage in the upcoming Champions Trophy marquee clash would be to put in a collective effort.
Pakistan are in a must-win situation when it takes on India here on Sunday after suffering a massive 60-run defeat against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener in Karachi. India, on the other hand, will come into the high-voltage contest on the back of a sure-footed performance against Bangladesh here on Thursday.
"If we talk about match-winners, I'd say that India has more match-winners compared to Pakistan. A match-winner is someone who knows how to win the game single-handedly. Right now, we don't have such players in Pakistan," former Pakistan skipper Afridi said on JioHotstar's 'Greatest Rivalry Returns' episode.
He said that India's middle and lower-order had played vital roles in the team's wins, while the same could not be said about Pakistan.
"India's strength lies in its middle and lower order, which has been winning them matches. For a long time, we have been giving opportunities to players, but no one has stepped up consistently.
"Some have performed in a few games, but we don't have players who have sustained their performance for a year, two years, or across 50-60 matches. That's where we are a little weaker compared to India, which is very strong in this area." Afridi said every player in Pakistan side will have to give his best in order to overcome the arch-rivals.
"The key to winning against India is collective performance -- whether it's the batsmen, bowlers, or spinners -- everyone's contribution is crucial." However, India's World Cup-winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh felt Pakistan will have an edge as they have played a lot of their cricket in Dubai.
Pakistan were forced to play their home games in the UAE following the militant attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009.
"I actually think Pakistan has an advantage because they have a base in Dubai. They have played a lot of cricket there and understand the conditions well. On slower wickets, Indian and Pakistani players are among the best, who have always played spin well," said Yuvraj.
While agreeing with Afridi that India had more match-winners, Yuvraj added that adapting to the situation and not letting pressure overwhelm the cricketers would play a bigger role in the clash.
"You talk about match-winners - yes, I agree with Shahid Afridi that we have more match-winners. But I believe that even if Pakistan has fewer match-winners, one player can still take the game away.
"The India-Pakistan clash is not about match-winners alone; it's about playing in the moment, adapting to the situation, and not letting expectations overwhelm you. The team that does this better will win the game for their country," said Yuvraj.
He also said that skipper Rohit Sharma's form wasn't a big concern as he is a proven match-winner along with Virat Kohli.
"Rohit Sharma, whether in form or out of form, it doesn't matter to me. I would always back my match-winners. In ODI cricket, especially in white-ball formats, he has been India's biggest match-winner as a batsman, alongside Virat Kohli.
"If Rohit is struggling but still gets runs, that's dangerous for the opposition. If he's in form, he will score a century in 60 balls. That's his quality - once he gets going, he's not just hitting fours; he's clearing the ropes with sixes.
"He is also one of the best players of the short ball. Even if someone bowls at 145-150 kmph, Rohit has the ability to hook it effortlessly. His strike rate is always between 120-140, and on his day, he can single-handedly win you the game," added Yuvraj.
