Overview
- Bharuch MP Mansukh Vasava publicly criticised the Gujarat BJP’s candidate rules for local-body elections and warned they could backfire by alienating loyal workers.
- He said the guidelines bar candidates over 60, end tickets after a third term, and disqualify aspirants who have a close relative in the party.
- Vasava said long-time organisers tell him in private that they feel demoralised because the BJP’s strict discipline makes open dissent hard.
- He noted these limits do not apply to parliamentary races and cautioned that bringing in new faces on some seats could sideline veterans who built the booth networks.
- There has been no public sign of a policy shift, which could affect who gets on final lists and drain enthusiasm that powers turnout in local contests.