Gujarat Byelections: BJP Eyes Victory Amidst Fierce Political Battle

Byelections commenced on Thursday morning in Gujarat's Visavadar and Kadi assembly seats, marking a significant political contest between the BJP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The state government declared a public holiday as voting began at 7 am, running until 6 pm, across 294 polling stations in each constituency. The Visavadar seat, situated in Junagadh district, fell vacant after AAP's Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the BJP. Despite its strong presence statewide, the BJP has not won Visavadar since 2007, but is hopeful of breaking this pattern with candidate Kirit Patel.

In Kadi, Mehsana district, the seat reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates became empty after BJP MLA Karsan Solanki's demise. The BJP fields Rajendra Chavda, while Congress backs Ramesh Chavda. AAP enters the race with Jagdish Chavda. The election outcomes on June 23 will determine the future political dynamics in these constituencies.

(With inputs from agencies.)