Ahmedabad, Jun 2 (PTI) — The Congress party has put forward Ramesh Chavda and Nitin Ranpariya as their candidates for the bypolls in Kadi and Visavadar assembly constituencies, respectively, in Gujarat. Chavda, who once served as a Congress MLA for the Kadi seat in Mehsana district, is a seasoned candidate. In contrast, Ranpariya is making his debut in assembly elections, having previously served on the Junagadh district panchayat.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced their candidates, with Rajendra Chavda contesting from Kadi and Kiritbhai Patel from Visavadar for the scheduled June 19 by-elections. This election is shaping up to be a three-cornered contest. Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party has stepped into the fray, nominating Jagdish Chavda for Kadi and Gopal Italia for Visavadar.
The Kadi constituency, reserved for Scheduled Castes, became vacant due to the demise of BJP MLA Karsanbhai Solanki on February 4. Meanwhile, the vacancy in Visavadar arose after AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani resigned last December and later switched allegiance to the BJP.
As candidates rush to file their nominations, with the deadline looming on Monday, the counting of votes is set for June 23. Currently, in the 182-member Gujarat legislative assembly, the BJP holds a dominant position with 161 legislators, the Congress secures 12 seats, and AAP occupies four. The remaining seats are held by the Samajwadi Party and independents.
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