There are a total of 1,666 candidates in the fray for 182 assembly constituencies in the Gujarat assembly elections for which voting will be held on December 13 and 17.
Monday was the last day for withdrawal of candidatures. So, eventually there are 1,666 candidates — 846 in the
first phase for 87 seats and 820 in the second phase for 95 seats.
In the first phase, Saurashtra, four seats of Ahmedabad district and south Gujarat will be going to the polls while central and north Gujarat, Ahmedabad city and Kutch district will see voting in the second phase.
In the last assembly polls in 2007, there were 1,268 players in the field.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting from all the BJP, BCp, congress, seats while the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party are contesting in alliance.
From Visavadar constituency in Saurashtra, the Congress has not fielded any candidate against former BJP chief minister Keshubhai Patel, who floated the Gujarat Parivartan Party to damage the ruling BJP's prospects.
From Maninagar seat where chief minister Narendra Modi is contesting, the GPP has reciprocated by withdrawing its candidate in support of Congress nominee Shweta Bhatt, wife of suspended IPS (Indian Police Service) officer Sanjiv Bhatt.