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K G Suresh in Vadodara
In an apparent fallout of a tussle within the state Bharatiya Janata Party unit over distribution of tickets for the forthcoming assembly elections, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said it would not be possible him to ready a tentative list of candidates by November 16 -- the deadline set by the party's central leadership.
"I have informed the central leaders that November 16 does not suit us," Modi told PTI in an interview.
BJP President Venkaiah Naidu had announced in Delhi on Monday that candidates for the elections would be finalised at a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on November 16.
This meeting may have to be postponed now.
Modi, interestingly, attributed the delay in finalising the list to Friday's India-West Indies one-day international match in Ahmedabad and his preoccupation with the party's 'Gaurav Yatra'.
He said the work of consultation with partymen at district level has been completed and the list would be finalised well before November 2, the last date for filing nominations.
Modi's remarks come in the wake of reports that his rival within the party and former chief minister, Keshubhai Patel, was demanding a large share of seats for his supporters.
Some Sangh Parivar outfits, which played a key role in building Modi's image as a 'Hindu Hero', too are lobbying for candidates of their choice in several key constituencies.
PTI
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