BJP fields actor Paresh Rawal instead of Harin Pathak

In a move that could create further controversy after denial of ticket to senior leader Jaswant Singh, the BJP Saturday fielded actor Paresh Rawal as the party candidate from Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha constituency, instead of sitting MP Harin Pathak.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's central election committee announced five names for Gujarat that included Prabhatsinh Pratapsinh Chauhan, sitting MP from Panchmahal.

Rawal joined the league of Bollywood actors fielded by the party, including Hema Malini and Shatrughan Sinha.

Pathak is a seven-time Lok Sabha member and is considered close to senior leader L.K. Advani.

There was speculation earlier that the BJP could field prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi from the Ahmedabad East seat.

Modi is contesting from Vadodara in Gujarat and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

The announcement for the Ahmedabad East seat came even as Jaswant Singh voiced his unhappiness over being denied a party ticket from Barmer in Rajasthan.

The party had to earlier deal with a row over a seat for Advani. The party patriarch made clear his preference for contesting from Bhopal rather than Gandhinagar, the seat decided for him by the central election committee.

Advani finally settled for Gandhinagar after persuasion by party leaders.

The party Saturday also announced three candidates for the bye-elections to the Gujarat assembly.