GANDHINAGAR:The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO)'s office has finalised the list of 81 candidates who will be contesting the Gujarat by-elections for the eight vacant seats in the Assembly. The by-elections, slated to be held on November 3, have been necessitated by the resignations of Congress legislators.
The 81 candidates are in the fray for the Abdasa, Kaprada (Scheduled Tribe), Karjan, Gadhada (Scheduled Caste), Morbi, Dhari, Limdi and Dangs (ST) seats. Twenty one candidates had withdrawn their candidature before the last day of withdrawal on Monday.
The maximum number of candidates, 14, are for the Limdi seat. As many as 11 independent candidates are contesting against the BJP's Kiritsinh Rana, Congress's Chetanbhai Khachar and Akhil Bhartiya Rajarya Party's Dilipbhai Parmar. The Limdi seat was vacated by the Congress's Somabhai Ganda.
Twelve candidates will be contesting the Morbi seat where nine independent candidates are fighting it out against the BJP's Brijesh Merja, Congress's Jayantibhai Patel and All India Majlis-E-Inqlaab-E- Millat's Husainbhai Bhatti. The seat was vacated by the Congress's Brijesh Merja.
Similar to the Morbi seat, there are 12 candidates in the field for the assembly seat of Gadhada, an SC constituency. Nine independent candidates are ranged against the BJP's Atmaram Parmar, Congress's Mohanbhai Solanki and Rashtrawadi Jan Chetna party's Vinubhai Parmar. The seat was vacated by the Congress's Praveen Maru, who had defeated the BJP's Atmaram Parmar.
There are 11 candidates for the Dhari assembly seat, where six Independents are up against the BJP's JV Kakadiya, Congress's Surajbhai Kotadiya, Rashtrawadi Jan Chetna party's Kanubhai Aghera, Yuva Jan Jagriti party's Kapilbhai Vegda and Vyavastha Parivartan party's Bhupatbhai Unava. The seat was vacated by the Congress's JV Kakadiya.
Ten candidates are in the fray for the Abdasa seat. There are five independent candidates contesting against the BJP's Pradyumansinh Jadeja, Congress's Shantilal Sanghani, Bahujan Mukti party's Aqub Mutva, Bhartiya Jan Parishad party's Ramji Maheshwari and Bahujan Maha Party's Bhimjibhai Meghwal. The seat was vacated by the Congress's Pradyumansinh Jadeja.
Nine candidates are fighting for the Karjan seat, where five independents are contesting against the BJP's Akshay Patel, Congress's Kiritsinh Jadeja, Rashtriya Jan Kranti party's Dineshbhai Patel and Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP)'s Mahendra Vasava. The seat was left by the Congress's Akshay Patel.
Similar to Karjan, nine candidates have been nominated for the ST seat of Dangs, where six independent candidates are contesting against BJP's Vijaybhai Patel, Congress's Suryakant Gavit and BTP's Babubhai Gamit. The seat was vacated by Mangal Gavit from the Congress.
There are only four candidates for the ST seat of Kaprada where two Independents are up against the BJP's Jeetu Chaudhary and the Congress's Babu Patel (Vartha). This seat was vacated by the Congress's Jeetu Chaudhary.
The Gujarat by-elections will be held on November 3 and the results will be declared on November 10.