With 17 candidates including Shah remaining in fray, 2 balloting units in each EVM will be used on Gandhinagar LS seat

Gandhinagar: On the most high-profile LS seat in Gujarat, Gandhinagar where BJP president Amit Shah is contesting as party candidate, a total of five candidates including Congress leader and former PAAS convener Hardik Patel’s aide Dilip Sabwa withdrew nominations on the last date of doing so.

According to official information from the returning officer’s office, now a total of 17 candidates are in fray on this prestigious seat which has earlier been represented six times by veteran BJP leader L K Advani and once by former PM Late A B Vajpayee.

Among the candidates apart from Shah and C J Chavda of Congress who is current MLA of Gandhinagar North Assembly seat, BSP’ Jayendra Rathod was also in the fray. Seven others were from less known registered political parties and as many independent. A witness of the sensational Gulbarg society massacre case, one of the biggest incidents of Gujarat 2002 riots, Firoz S Khan was also contesting as an independent.

Chief Electoral Officer S Murali Krishan said that wherever the number of candidates have exceeded 15, two or more as the case may be balloting units of the EVM would be used on each of the booths.
This way two balloting units would be used for polling in Gandhinagar constituency where the election would be held along with all the other 25 LS seats in the state on April 23
. He said that there was provision for 16 candidates (including NOTA) in a Balloting Unit. If the total number of candidates exceeds 15, more balloting units were attached.

‘M3 EVMs (Post 2013) can cater to a maximum of 384 candidates including NOTA by connecting 24 Balloting Units. M2 EVMs (2006-10) can cater to a maximum of 64 candidates including NOTA by connecting 4 Balloting Units,’ he informed.
Krishna said that the compilation of total withdrawals and details about all the LS seats in Gujarat would be completed till late evening and the official details would be shared either late in the night or tomorrow.

Nominations for all the LS seats and 4 assembly by polls on Unjha, Jamnagar-Rural, Manavadar, Dhrangadhra (due ot resignation of Congress MLAs) started on March 28 and ended on April 4. Today was last date for withdrawal of nominations.
END
DeshGujarat