Congress releases second list of candidates for Gujarat Assembly elections
The new list replaces candidates in four seats following protests by Patidar leaders on Sunday.
The Congress released it second list of 13 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections on Monday night, the Hindustan Times reported. The polls will be held in two phases – on December 9 and December 14. The results will be declared on December 18.
The new list replaces candidates in four seats following protests by Hardik Patel’s Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti. The two parties had clashed on Sunday night after the Congress announced its first list of 77 candidates for the elections, leaving only three seats for the Patidar outfit. Hours earlier, the two sides had said they had come to an understanding. The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti is believed to have sought 20 seats.
In its second list, the Congress, in a move seen as meant to placate the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, replaced two Patidar candidates Nilesh Kumbani and Praful Togadiya. Kumbani was replaced with Ashok Jirawala in Kamrej constituency and Togadiya with Dhiru Gajera in Varachha Road.
Amit Thummar in Junagadh constituency was replaced with Bhikha Joshi while Kiran Thakor with Jaish Patel for the Bharuch seat. These areas reportedly have a considerable number of Patidar voters.
Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bharatsinh Solanki told The Indian Express that the changes were made looking at the “political situation...because we have to win”. Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said that changes were made with the sentiments of local party workers and local political conditions in view. The candidates who have been removed were also consulted, Doshi said.
The Patidar outfit’s Surat co-convener Dharmik Malaviya said that the Congress had “bowed down” before it for the first time. “The PAAS team is happy and will support Congress...[It] will be announced by Hardik Patel at a press conference in Ahmedabad on Tuesday afternoon.”
Following the clashes, Hardik Patel on Monday cancelled a rally he was scheduled to address in Gujarat’s Rajkot, where he was expected to announce his support to the Congress.
So far, the Bharatiya Janta Party has announced candidates for 134 of the 182 seats in Gujarat, a state which it has ruled for 22 years.