The BJP on Thursday released its first list of 160 candidates for the two-phase elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, fielding Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel from his constituency Ghatlodia and dropping a number of sitting MLAs.
Here’s the full list: Ghatlodia – Bhupendra Patel, Abdasa – Pradyuman Singh Jadeja, Mandvi – Aniruddha Dave, Bhuj – Keshubhai Patel, Anjar – Trikambhai Changa, Gandhidham – Maltiben Maheshwari, Rapper – Virendra Singh Jadeja, Dasada – Purushotambhai Parmar, Limbdi – Keeritsinh Rana, Wadhwan – Jijnaben Pandya, Chotila – Shamjibhai Bhimjibhai Chauhan, Dhangradha – Prakashbhai Varmola, Morbi – Kantilal Amritiya, Tankara – Durhabji Bhai Detaria, Wankaner – Jitendrabhai Somani, Rajkot (East) – Uday Kangad, Rajkot (West) – Dr. Mrs. Darshita Shah, Rajkot (South) – Ramesh Tilala, Rajkot (Rural) – Mrs. Bhanuben Babaria, Jasdan – Kuvarjibhai Bavlia, Gondal – Geetaba Jadeja, Jetpur – Jayeshbhai Raddia, Kalawad – Meghjibhai Chawda, Jamnagar Rural – Raghavji Patel.
Jamnagar North – Rivaba Jadeja, Jamnagar South – Divyesh Akbari, Dwarka – Pabubha Manek, Porbandar – Babubhai Bokharia, Manavdar – Jawahar Chawda, Junagadh – Sanjay Kordia, Visavdar – Harshad Ribadia, Keshod – Devabhai Malam, Magarol – Bhagwanji Bhai Kargathiya, Somnath – Mansingh Parmar, Talala – Bhagwanbhai Barad, Kodinar – Dr. Pradyuman Vaja, Una – Kalubhai Rathore, Dhari – Kakadia, Amreli – Kantibhai Vekaria, Lathi – Janakbhai Punaria, Savarkundla – Mahesh Kaswala, Rajula – Hirabhai Solanki, Mahuva – Shivabhai Gohil, Talaja – Gautambhai Chauhan, Gariyadhar- Keshubhai Nakrani, Palitana – Bhikhabhai Baraiya, Bhavnagar (Rural) – Purushottam Solanki, Bhavnagar West – Jeetubhai Vaghani, Gadhdaa – Shambhuprasad Tundia, Botad – Ghanshyam Veerani, Nandod – Dr. Darshanaben Vasava, Jambusar – Devkishore Sadhu, Jhaghadiya – Wayesh Vasava, Bharuch – Ramesh Mistry, Ankleshwar – Iswar Singh Rath, Aulpad – Jitubhai Patel, Ganpatbhai Vasava, Mandvi – Kuvarji Halapati, Kamrej,
Prafulbhai Panseria, Surat (East) – Arvind Rana, Surat (North) Kantibhai Ballar, Vaccha Road – Kishore Kanani, Karanj – Pravin Ghoghari, Limbayat – Sangeeta Patil, Udhana – Manubhai Patel, Majura – Harsh Sanghvi, Katargam – Vinod Mordia, Surat (West) – Purnesh Modi, Bardoli – Ishwarbhai Parmar, Mahuva – Mohanbhai Dodia, Vyara – Mohanbhai Kokani, Nizar – Jairambhai Gameet, Dang – Vijaybhai Patel, Jalalpur – Rameshbhai Patel, Navsari – Rakesh Desai, Gandevi – Nareshbhai Patel, Vasada – Piyush Patel, Dharmapur – Arvind Patel, Valsad – Bharat Patel, Pardi – Kanubhai Desai, Kaprada – Jeetubhai Chaudhary, Umargam – Ramanbhai Patkar, Vav – Swarupji Thakor, Tharad – Shankar Chaudhary, Dhanera – Bhagwanji Chaudhary, Danta – Laghbhai Parghi, Vadgam – Manibhai Vaghela, Palanpur – Aniketbhai Thakar, Viramgam-Hardik Patel.
Union ministers Bhupender Yadav and Mansukh Mandaviya were joined by Gujarat BJP president CR Patil at a press conference where Yadav named the candidates selected by the party’s Central Election Committee at its meeting on Wednesday.
Yadav said the list includes 69 sitting MLAs, indicating that a large number of incumbent legislators has been dropped. The list includes 14 women, and 13 and 24 members from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively.
He said a number of senior leaders from the state, including former chief minister Vijay Rupani and former deputy chief minister Nitin Patel, have opted out of the contest and had written to the party leadership to this effect.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other CEC members, including Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh besides party’s national president JP Nadda, were in the meeting to finalise the candidates.
The BJP is hopeful of maintaining its uninterrupted winning streak in the state assembly polls since 1995. The entry of the Aam Aadmi Party has added an extra dimension to the state’s traditional bipolar elections, with the BJP’s main challenger Congress hit by a fresh round of desertion by its leaders as it works to regroup.
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