Gandhinagar: External Affairs minister S.Jaishankar is a candidate from Gujarat for Rajya Sabha by-election. Another candidate is a rich Thakor community man Jugal Thakor (Lokhandwala).

Two Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat are vacant following resignations of Amit Shah and Smriti Irani. Both offered their resignations after their election to Lok Sabha in recently concluded general election.

S. Jaishankar a former foreign secretary of India joined ruling BJP formally today, a month after taking oath as minister and a day before the last date of filing nomination for Rajya Sabha seat.

Jaishankar arrived at Sardar Patel airport here late in the evening.

Meanwhile a probable Congress candidate Karsandas Soneri said the outcome of Rajya Sabha by-polls in Gujarat will depend on the court verdict. The other names discussed by Congress party for candidature were Manish Doshi, Balubhai Patel and Gaurav Pandya.

It’s worth noting that the Election Commission of India has declared separate notifications and polling for each of two vacant Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat. Congress has challenged this decision in the Supreme Court. If polling for both seats take place jointly, then Congress has chance to win one seat looking at its present strength in state assembly. However in separate elections, BJP will be able to win both seats comfortably.

DeshGujarat