Congress releases first list of 43 candidates for Gujarat Assembly polls, fields 32 new faces

The Congress late on Friday night released its first list of 43 candidates for Gujarat Assembly polls.

The party said that out of 43 candidates, 32 are new faces. In cities such as Vadodara, the Congress fielded candidates who will be contesting the Assembly polls for the first time.

Among the repeated names are Rajya Sabha PM Amee Yajnik who has been pitched against BJP chief minister Bhupendra Patel from Ghatlodia seat in Ahmedabad, a BJP bastion, from where Patel had won with highest margin in 2017 polls.

The other prominent names in the list include Kanubhai Kalsaria from Mahua seat in Bhavnagar, who is known for leading agitation against a Nirma plant in 2012 when he was a BJP MLA. Former Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhwadia will be contesting from Porbandar seat again. He has lost two consecutive elections from this seat to BJP leader Babubhai Bokhiria.

"The selection of candidates shows that the Congress wants to take the BJP head-on. Giving ticket to its Rajya Sabha MP Amee Yajnik, who is also a practicing lawyer, to fight from Ghatlodia seat is nothing but a bold move to send across a strong political message that the party is serious," said a senior Congress leader.

Among the list is Praful Togadia from Varachha Road seat in Surat. He is the cousin of Pravin Togadia, president of International Hindu Parishad.