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PremiumNEW DELHI :New Delhi/Ahmedabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released its third list of 28 candidates for Gujarat assembly elections, hours after the Congress released its first list of 77 candidates. The Congress has given just two seats to Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), leading to protests and clashes across Gujarat. In another development, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will contest all seats in Gujarat, after its talks with the Congress over seat sharing failed. The polling for the two-phase elections in Gujarat will take place on 9 and 14 December and votes will be counted on 18 December. Here are the latest developments and updates.
Third list of 28 BJP candidates for ensuing general election to the legislative assembly of Gujarat 2017 finalised by BJP Central Election Committee. pic.twitter.com/1DKe4ru9WX
— BJP (@BJP4India) November 20, 2017
In its third list of 28 candidates, BJP has dropped as many as 16 sitting MLAs, including three ministers, and given tickets to 10 legislators. The ministers who have been dropped are Jayanti Kavadia (the MLA from Dhrangadhra seat in Surendranagar), Vallabh Vaghasia (Savarkundla seat in Amreli) and Nanu Vanani (Katargam seat in Surat city). Kavadia recently announced that he was not willing to contest the polls and instead wanted to work to strengthen the party. (PTI)
The parliamentary secretary in CM Vijay Rupani’s government, Jetha Solanki, the legislator from Kodinar (SC) seat, was also dropped. Solanki resigned as the MLA and from all party posts two days ago, alleging that Dalits faced atrocities under the BJP-led state government. (PTI)
Sitting MLA from the Jamnagar-South seat, Vasuben Trivedi, who was the women and child development minister when Anandiben Patel was the chief minister from 2014 to 2016, has also been dropped by the BJP this time. Former state BJP president R. C. Faldu has been given ticket for the Jamnagar-South seat. The Gujarat assembly speaker and BJP’s Dalit face in the state, Ramanbhai Vora, who represents Idar (SC) seat of Sabarkantha, has been picked to contest from Dasada(SC) seat of Surendranagar, as the sitting MLA, Punambhai Makwana, has been denied ticket. (PTI)
This is our 1st Candidate list of 77 Candidates for #GujaratElection2017.
— Bharat Solanki (@BharatSolankee) November 19, 2017
Congratulations & Best wishes to all the 77 Candidates. કોંગ્રેસ આવે છે, નવસર્જન લાવે છે! #NavsarjanGujarat pic.twitter.com/C8OCsbTavR
Former minister Saurabh Patel and ex-chief of BJP’s Gujarat unit R.C. Faldu figure in the third list of 28 candidates the party released today for the assembly polls. The BJP had announced names of 106 candidates in the two lists so far for the polls to the 182-member assembly. Patel, whose future had appeared uncertain after he was dropped as a minister from the new ministry sworn in under chief minister Vijay Rupani last year, has been fielded from Botad. He represents Akota in the outgoing assembly.The BJP has also dropped minister Nanu Vanani from Katargam seat in Surat and gave ticket to Vinubhai Moradiya in his place. The first phase will cover 89 constituencies in 19 districts, and the second phase 93 seats in 14 districts. (PTI)
The Congress has cleared the decks for the elevation of vice-president Rahul Gandhi to the top party post as the schedule for internal polls got approved on Monday. The decision was taken by the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the apex decision making body of the party. Read more
The NCP on Monday said it will contest all 182 seats in the Gujarat assembly elections, after talks for alliance between the Sharad Pawar-led party and the Congress failed. In 2007 and 2012, the NCP and the Congress had fought the state elections in alliance. In the present assembly, the NCP has two MLAs. The Congress alleged that the alliance broke down because of NCP’s demand for more seats. Senior NCP leader Praful Patel said, “We will fight on all the 182 seats. We will release our candidates list today.” On Sunday night, the Congress, in its first list of 77 candidates, named contestants on seats which were demanded by the NCP, including the Kutiyana constituency in Porbandar district from where Kandhal Jadeja is NCP’s sitting MLA. The Congress state in-charge, Ashok Gehlot, said “the NCP should have demanded seats as per their situation in Gujarat”. (PTI)
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani files nomination for #GujaratAssemblyElections in presence of Union Minister Arun Jaitley in Rajkot pic.twitter.com/5DJ6WseOZL
— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017
The Congress has given tickets to all its sitting MLAs on the seats where names were released. The party has fielded four former MPs in the list of 77 for the first phase of the election scheduled on 9 December. It has fielded Kunverjai Bavaliya from Jasdan seat, Soma Patel from Limbdi, Tushar Chaudhary from Mahua ST and Virji Thummer from Lathi seats. Congress has also given tickets to three members of minority community—Suleman Patel from Vagra, Iqubal Patel from Surat (West) and Mohammed Javed Pirzadda from Vankaner. Eleven candidates belong to the scheduled tribe (ST) category and seven are from the scheduled caste (SC) category. Of the total 182 assembly segments in the state, 89 seats will go to polls in the first phase. (PTI)
I condemn this violence, Hardik Patel and his workers should show patience,issues can be sorted out by talking. Also,Gujarat CM should worry about the fights over ticket distribution in his party and not comment on us: Ashok Gehlot,Congress pic.twitter.com/1dUdUMvPBh
— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017
PAAS leaders were working as agents of Congress, and now they have been totally exposed: Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani on PAAS-Congress workers clash over ticket distribution pic.twitter.com/I7jtQLaQoT
— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017
#WATCH Surat: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/uz5fx9oXIc
— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017
Only two PAAS members were given tickets in the first list of candidates released by the Congress on Sunday night. The two who have been given tickets are Lalit Vasoya from Dhoraji and Amit Thummar from Junagadh seat. The Hardik Patel-led organisation had demanded 20 seats. Around 20 other Patel candidates, who are not members of the PAAS, also find mention in the list. (PTI)
Congress has fielded MLA Indranil Rajyaguru of Rajkot East seat to fight against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief minister Vijay Rupani from Rajkot West seat. (PTI)
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