Ahmedabad, 30 March 2014

Congress party today declared the candidates for Gujarat assembly by-polls.

As per the list shared by party spokesperson at around midnight on Saturday, former leader of opposition in Gujarat assembly and present national spokesperson of Congress party Shaktisinh Gohil will contest from Abdasa seat in Kutch district. Shaktisinh belongs to Bhavnagar and he has been MLA from there only. However following new delimitation and change of constituency within Bhavnagar district, he lost the election in year 2012 general elections. The party has now fielded him miles away on a seat located in Kutch district.

Gohil will contest against BJP candidate Chhabilbhai Patel who was elected on Congress ticket on this seat in 2012 assembly general election. This year, Chhabilbhai decided to join BJP and resigned from the post of MLA which invited by-election.

If Shaktisinh wins Abadasa by-poll and Shankersinh Vaghela who is present leader of opposition in the assembly is elected to Lok Sabha(he is contesting from Sabarkantha seat), Shaktisinh could be placed as leader of opposition once again in the assembly.

On Lathi seat, Congress has fielded former BJP MLA Hanubhai Dhorajia who left BJP after denied ticket, and joined AAP, but soon left AAP and joined Congress.

On Visavdar seat, Congress has fielded local Harshad Ribadiya. He will contest against former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel’s son Bharat Patel who is BJP candidate. Visavdar is witnessing by-poll after former Gujarat Parivartan Party(GPP) president Keshubhai Patel vacated the seat for his son. Keshubhai won this seat in 2012 general elections on GPP ticket. GPP later merged into BJP. Ribadiya’s main idea against Bharat is ‘outsider’ tag attached to Bharat. Ribadiya says Keshubhai has done nothing for Visavdar during his term as MLA and Chief Minister.

Rapar seat has been assigned to former MLA Babubhai Meghji Shah who recently circulated a press statement seeking separation of Kutch from Gujarat. The seat is vacant following death of locally powerful MLA of BJP. Shah will contest against rival BJP candidate Pankaj Mehta who is Kutch district unit president of BJP.

Assembly by-elections:
Abdasa: Shaktisinh Gohil
Somnath: Dr. Nishant Chotai
Mandvi: Anand Chaudhary
Visavdar: Harshad Ribadiya
Himmatnagar: Dr. Vipul Patel
Rapar: Babubhai Meghji Shah
Lathi:Hanubhai Dhorajia