File Photo of PM Narendra Modi with Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel (AFP)
Narendra Modi's move to Delhi as Prime Minister has created two huge openings in Gujarat- as chief minister, he was a member of the state assembly, and he then ran for Parliament from Vadodara in his home state, but chose to represent Varanasi, which he also won, in the Lok Sabha.
So his party must now find two candidates who can deliver the seats he vacated. Gujarat remains a committed BJP bastion, but the pressure is on Anandiben, who replaced Mr Modi as chief minister, to prove her political acumen through her choice of candidates.
By-elections in Gujarat are due on September 13 for nine assembly seats and the Vadodara parliamentary constituency, all currently held by the BJP. Results will be declared on September 16.
For the Vadodara parliamentary election, Anandiben, 72, has picked Ranjana Ben Bhatt currently the deputy mayor of the town, and seen by many within her party as a political lightweight. "I had not even sought a ticket..but the party felt that a woman candidate should be given the ticket. I am elated," said Ms Bhatt.
For Maninagar, the constituency Mr Modi represented in the state legislature, the BJP's candidate is Suresh Patel, currently a member of the local municipal corporation.
If the two candidates selected to fill Mr Modi's very large shoes appear innocent of star power or major experience, the party says that's precisely the point. BJP sources say Anandiben wants to be seen as a promoter of fresh faces and new talent.
But despite the solid ground the BJP holds in the state, analysts say Anandiben's choice of candidates is not entirely without risks. In the by-elections held this week in four states including Bihar, the Congress won 10 of 18 seats, forcing the BJP to second place.
"The Modi balloon has been burst..and we are hopeful that the by-elections results in other parts of the country would have an impact here as well," remarked Congress spokesman Manish Doshi.