Gujarat elections: Harsh Sanghavi, Bhupendra Patel, Hardik Patel, Rivaba Jadeja feature on BJP's first list

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced the first list of candidates for the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022. Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, CM Bhupendra Patel, cricketer Ravindra Jadeja's wife Rivaba Jadeja and Hardik Patel are featured on this list.

Sanghavi has been fielded from Majura, while CM Bhupendra Patel will represent the BJP from Ghatlodiya.

Hardik Patel, who joined the BJP last year after a public fallout with the Congress, will contest the elections from the Viramnagar constituency. With his candidature, the party aims to get the support of the sizeable Patidar community.

Patel shot into the limelight when he led an agitation of the Patidar community seeking reservation in jobs and educational institutes.

Also read: Who is Rivaba Jadeja, cricketer Ravindra Jadeja's wife fielded from Jamnagar North by BJP

Hardik Patel was made the working president of Congress in Gujarat. However, he resigned last year claiming resistance from the old guard in the party's state unit.

The BJP has released the names of candidates for 160 seats out of the total 182. 13 candidates belong to the Scheduled Castes, 24 are from the scheduled tribes. 69 candidates are women.

Jitu Bhai Somani has been fielded from Rajkot West, Babu Bhai Pokharia has been fielded from Junagarh.

BJP's Central Election Committee met on Wednesday in Delhi to decide on candidates for the two-phase polls on December 1 and December 5. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by Amit Shah, Bhupendra Patel, CR Patil, JP Nadda, Devendra Fadnavis, Bhupendra Yadav and Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

It was decided that the party will strive to give chances to young candidates. 35 new candidates feature on the list.

Polling is to be held on 89 Assembly seats in the state on December 1 and 93 seats on December 5. The last date for nominations for 89 assembly constituencies in the first phase of elections in the state is November 14 and November 17 is the last date for nominations for the 93 assembly seats to be held in the second phase on December 5.

With inputs from IANS