Congress spokesperson Rohan Gupta opts out of Lok Sabha election. Here's why

Rohan Gupta, a popular Congress face in television news debates, was among 43 candidates announced by the grand old party on March 13

Published on: Mar 18, 2024, 23:02:37 IST

By HT News Desk

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Congress leader Rohan Gupta on Monday said he is withdrawing his Lok Sabha election candidature from Ahmedabad East constituency in Gujarat due to his father's medical condition.

“Due to serious medical condition , my father is admitted in hospital and I am withdrawing my candidature for Ahmedabad east parliament seat as Congress Candidate. I will extend complete support to the new candidate nominated by party,” Gupta posted on social platform X.

Gupta, a popular Congress face in television news debates, was among 43 candidates announced by the grand old party on March 13. The Ahmedabad East constituency is currently represented by Hasmukh Patel of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

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A vocal face on national news channels, Gupta had also served as the chairperson of the social media department of the party in the past.

The Congress has so far announced seven candidates in Gujarat, including two sitting MLAs and a former legislator.

Two-term Congress legislator from Vav constituency, Geniben Thakor, has been given the ticket by the party to contest from the Banaskantha seat in north Gujarat.

She is pitted against Bharatiya Janata Party's Rekhaben Chaudhary, whose name was declared in the ruling party's first list of candidates. Thakor had won the Vav seat twice - in 2017 and 2022, having defeated BJP heavyweight Shankar Chaudhary during the 2017 election.

The party also fielded its MLA Anant Patel from Valsad seat, reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community. A tribal leader, Patel is a sitting MLA from Vansda seat.

The party also gave a second chance to its former MLA Lalit Vasoya to contest from Porbandar Lok Sabha seat. He had unsuccessfully contested the Porbandar parliamentary seat in 2019 as the then sitting Congress MLA from Dhoraji seat. He was defeated in the 2022 assembly election from here. He will contest against Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who has been fielded by the BJP from the Porbandar seat.

The grand old party fielded new faces from the Kutch (Scheduled Caste-reserved seat), Ahmedabad (West) (SC) and Bardoli (ST) seats. It also announced the names of Nitish Lalan, Bharat Makwana and Siddharth Chaudhary for these seats respectively.

Gujarat, which has 26 constituencies, will vote in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 7. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

(With PTI inputs)

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HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

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