BJP releases 84 names for Gujarat first phase polls

New Delhi : The BJP Thursday released here its list of 84 candidates for the first phase of polls in Gujarat Dec 13. Chief Minister Narendra Modi will be contesting from Maninagar in Ahmedabad.

Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari, BJP parliamentary party chief L.K. Advani, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley discussed the list at the central election committee (CEC) meeting before releasing it.

The list included Modi, who will be contesting from Maninagar in Ahmedabad.

The list also includes Vajubhai Vala, who was minister of finance, labour & employment, in the outgoing cabinet.

Vala, who has been finance minister for both terms of the Modi government (2002-07 and 2007-12) is contesting from Rajkot West, his home constituency. Vala has also served previously as mayor of Rajkot.

Gujarat BJP president R.C. Faldu, who was earlier elected to the assembly from Kalawad constituency in Jamnagar district, will be contesting from Jamnagar Rural.

Koli (fisherman) community leader Parshottam Solanki, who was fisheries minister in the outgoing cabinet, will be contesting this time from Bhavnagar Rural. He had earlier been elected from Ghogha, also in Bhavnagar district.

Most of the names in the list are those of sitting legislators, with the exception of seven. No Muslim candidate has been mentioned in the list.

Six of Gujarat’s 13 constituencies reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates find a mention in the list. Similarly, 14 of the 26 Scheduled Tribe (ST) constituencies are included. Also, there are 10 women candidates in the list.

The maximum number of constituencies in the list are in Surat district (16), followed by Rajkot (9), Bhavnagar (8), Jamnagar (7), Bharuch (6), Ahmedabad, Amreli and Valsad (5 each), Junagadh, Surendranagar and Gir-Somnath (4 each), Navsari (3), Dangs, Tapi-Vyara and Porbandar (2 each) and Kutch and Narmada (1 each).

Eighty-seven of Gujarat’s 182 constituencies go to the polls during the first phase Dec 13. The BJP will announce the names of the other three candidates for the first phase in the next two-three days, according to BJP leader Ananth Kumar.

The last date for filing of nominations for the first phase is Nov 24 (Saturday).

The second phase of polling is scheduled for Dec 19. The result will be out Dec 20.