Congress announces 98 candidates for Gujarat Assembly polls

Gujarat PCC chief Arjun Modhwadia, CLP leader Shaktisinhji Gohil, former PCC chief Siddharthbai Patel and several other sitting MLAs figure in the two lists of 98 Congress candidates announced by the AICC tonight for the two-phase state Assembly elections.

The lists were announced after a meeting of the Central Election Committee of Congress chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi.

While Motwadia has been re-nominated for his Porbandher seat, Gohil has been fielded from Bhavnagar rural. Patel is the party nominee from Dabhoi.

A noteworthy candidature is that of sitting MP from Rajkot, Kuvarji Bavaliya, who has been fielded from Botad in Bhavnagar district, the constituency of Minister of State for Energy Saurabh Patel. Bavailya belongs to Koli community, which is numerically strong in Botad.

Son of Congress MP Vitthal Radadia, Jayesh has been given ticket from Jetpur constituency of Rajkot district. Congress has also given ticket to veteran cooperative movement leader Natwarlal Patel from Mehasana.

Former BJP MLA Jitu Patel, who joined Congress recently, has been given ticket from Naranpura in Ahmebabad city.

In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, Congress has been in opposition for last two decades.

The Election Commission has already issued notification for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections for 87 constituencies where voting will be held on December 13.

Notification for elections to remaining 95 seats (of the total 182) in phase II will be issued on November 23. The second phase of polling will take place on December 17.