Bhavnagar, Nov 15 (IANS): Despite former Gujarat minister Parshottam Solanki keeping ill since long, the BJP gave ticket to the "indispensable" leader. Let's find out why.

Solanki is a prominent Koli leader from Bhavnagar district, and the Koli community accounts for one third of state population having dominance in 34 Assembly seats.

He won the Assembly poll for five straight terms.

The BJP first time fielded Solanki in 1998 assembly elections from Ghogha seat. He got elected on this seat three times. He won the Bhavnagar rural seat twice, and this time, he has been fielded from Bhavnagar rural.

Senior journalist Nitin Soni recalls the BJP realised Solanki's strength for the first time in 1996, when he contested Lok Sabha elections in as an Independent and lost the election to BJP candidate Rajendrasinh Rana by 7,000 votes. Rajendrasinh Rana was the then state BJP chief, who convinced Solanki to join the saffron party in 1997.

Soni said, "Mumbai's bhai became masiha of Koli community in Bhavnagar and coastal belt. He works for the community day and night, which makes him Koli Hriday Samrat. This has also compelled the BJP to make him star campaigner of the party."

BJP Bhavnagar district president Mukesh Langalia told IANS, "He is renominated as he rules the hearts of Koli community. But, it was not a compulsion to field him as the party has leaders from Patidar community and even Koli leader like MP Bharatiben Shiyal."

After filing nomination on Monday, Solanki had told media that he is physically not fit to travel, but will campaign for the party as much as he can. Solanki said that he is confident of winning the election.

Eight criminal cases were registered against him in Mumbai, including that of attempt to murder and rioting, which have been quashed.