Rajkot: Gujarat Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki today claimed that the first list of around 40 to 50 party candidates for this year’s assembly polls in the state would be released by the end of this month.

Addressing a press conference at the circuit house in Racecourse road here Solanki said that the state election committee would be constituted soon after which based on its recommendations the list would be declared by the high command by June end.

He said that the first list would have the names of 40 to 50 such candidates who were meritorious and had strong chances of winning.

He said that the party manifesto for the Gujarat assembly polls would also cover various local issues.

Solanki, who had earlier announced that the list of candidates for all the 182 assembly segments would be issued in three phases, today said that he himself won’t contest the election. He said that public was aggrieved with ruling BJP and Congress which had won 2015 local body polls overwhelmingly would not only win the 2017 Gujarat assembly polls by 2/3 rd majority but also win the 2019 Loksabha election also.

To a query regarding the Patidar quota stir, the Congress president said that Party had already announced the policy of 20% reservation for the Economically Backward Community (EBC), and on forming government in Gujarat would pass a bill for the same and send it to the Loksabha for passage there too. After forming the government at center too, the party would amend the constitution for it and also approach the court if the need be.

On being asked about the reports of many senior Congress eaders trying to change their seats for the fear of defeat, Solanki rejected it saying that the party has not selected even a single candidate so far. He, however’ claimed that senior BJP leader and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Dy CM Nitin Patel would change their seats. He also claimed that senior minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama was also likely to change his constituency.

On being asked about various statements of leader of opposition Shankersinh Vaghela, Solanki said that there were no ‘differences’ between him and Vaghela.

However he said that the meaning of yesterday’s statement of Vaghela that ‘He was in Congress today but doesn’t know what will happen tomorrow’ should be asked from him only. ‘He is senior and experienced leader, he should be asked as to why he said so. I won’t comment on it,’ he said. Solanki reiterated that the CM candidate of Congress would be selected only after election.

On Kerala issue, Solanki said that his party did not want any politics on cow. ‘Those who have committed the sin in Kerala have been punished and would suffer further but actions should also be initiated against NDA minister Kiran Rijiju and a BJP MP candidate of Kerala for their pro-beef remarks,’ he said.

DeshGujarat