Gujarat assembly polls: 1,362 candidates file nominations for first phase

For the second phase of elections on December 5, the last for filing the papers being November 17, has so far seen 95 nominations by various political parties

The first phase of Gujarat elections on December 1 will see 1,362 candidates in fray for 89 out of 182 assembly seats, the data released by the state election commission said on Tuesday.

Gujarat elections will take place on December 1 and 5. (File image)

The last day for filing the nomination was November 14.

For the second phase of elections on December 5, the last for filing the papers being November 17, has so far seen 95 nominations by various political parties.

The results for both the phases will be declared on December 8.

Some of the prominent names for the first phase of elections are BJP candidates Kantibhai Amrutiya from Morbi, Rivaba Jadeja from Jamnagar North, Kunvarji Bawaliya from Rajkot’s Jasdan seat, Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani from Amreli and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Gujarat president Gopal Italia from Surat.

Bavaliya, a senior Congress leader before he switched sides to BJP in 2018, is a prominent Koli community leader, who has won seven times from Jasdan seat. He was also elected to the Lok Sabha from Rajkot as a Congressman in 2009.

Congress has fielded Koli leader Bholabhai Gohel against Bavaliya. Gohel had won this seat in 2012 on a Congress ticket. After he was replaced by Babaliya in 2017, Gohel joined the BJP. After Bavaliya jumped ship, Gohel went back to the Congress in 2018.

For the Bhavnagar rural seat, BJP has fielded Parshottam Solanki, the sitting MLA and a former minister who is a popular Koli leader in Gujarat.

Congress has fielded its senior leader and former Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhwadia to take on Babu Bokhiria for the Porbandar seat. Bokhiria, a sitting MLA, has won from this seat four times.

In the Patidar dominated Amreli, Congress has fielded Paresh Dhanani who served as a leader of opposition in the Gujarat assembly.

AAP’s Italia filed his nomination from Patidar dominated Katargam assembly constituency in Surat.

AAP has also fielded Alpesh Kathiriya, convenor of Patidar Anamant Andolan Samiti, from the Patel dominated Varachha Road seat in Surat city which is currently held by former minister Kishor Kanani of the BJP.

The BJP, in a surprise move, has fielded Indian cricketer and Jamnagar native Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Rivaba to contest elections from Jamnagar North. Jadeja replaces sitting MLA from the seat Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.

On Monday night, BJP announced its fourth list of candidates with names of 12 candidates, mostly in north and central Gujarat.

Alpesh Thakor, a former Congress MLA from Radhanpur and OBC leader who had joined BJP in 2019, is given a ticket to contest from Gandhinagar South seat.

The party has also named Dr Rajul Desai, former member of the National Commission for Women (NCW) and Gujarat State Child Rights Commission as its candidate from Patan.