Cong, BJP, AAP candidates file nominations for bypolls to 2 Gujarat assembly seats

On the last day of filing nominations for the June 19 bypolls to Kadi and Visavadar assembly constituencies in Gujarat, candidates of the ruling BJP, opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday submitted their candidature to election authorities.

According to election officials, 18 candidates, including those from national political parties, had submitted their nominations for the Kadi seat of Mehsana district, while 31 contestants entered the fray in the Visavadar seat of Junagadh district between May 26 and June 2.

The Scheduled Caste-reserved Kadi seat fell vacant following the demise of sitting BJP MLA Karsanbhai Solanki on February 4. The Visavadar constituency fell vacant after sitting AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani resigned in December 2023. He later joined the BJP.

The BJP has fielded Rajendra Chavda from Kadi and Kirit Patel from Visavadar for the bypolls.

Rajendra Chavda is an active member of the BJP since the 1980s and has served the party in different capacities such as president of the Mehsana taluka Scheduled Caste Cell and secretary of party's Mehsana district unit. He was director of the Gujarat Scheduled Caste Development Corporation from 2011 to 2017.

Kirit Patel had earlier served as the BJP's Junagadh district president and chairman of the Junagadh APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee).

The Congress has announced Ramesh Chavda and Nitin Ranpariya as its candidates from Kadi and Visavadar assembly constituencies, respectively.

Ramesh Chavda is a former Congress MLA from Kadi. He won from the seat in 2012, but lost to BJP member Karsanbhai Solanki in 2017.

Ranpariya, who has served as a member of the Junagadh district panchayat in the past and is currently president of the Bhesan taluka Congress, is fighting an assembly election for the first time in his political career.

These BJP and Congress candidates submitted their nomination papers to election officials at Kadi and Visavadar on Monday.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has fielded Jagdish Chavda from Kadi and Gopal Italia from Visavadar, making contest in these seats essentially a three-way fight.

While Italia, a former president of the Gujarat AAP, submitted his papers on May 31, Jagdish Chavda filed his nomination on Monday.

At Visavadar, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held a roadshow in support of BJP candidate Kirit Patel and accompanied him during form submission.

In Kadi, former Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and Health Minister Rushikesh Patel took part in a roadshow in the support of Rajendra Chavda ahead of the nomination filing.

The last day for withdrawal of nominations is June 5, while counting of votes will take place on June 23.

In the 182-member Gujarat assembly, the BJP has 161 legislators, Congress 12 and AAP four, while one seat is with the Samajwadi Party and two are with independents.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)