Gujarat polls: Congress declares 39 candidates in 5th, 6th lists; fields Jignesh Mevani from Vadgam

The Congress on Sunday released two lists of 39 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections, fielding Jignesh Mevani from the Vadgam constituency.

Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani had won from Vadgam seat in Gujarat's Banaskantha district in 2017 as Independent candidate.

The Congress first released its fifth list with six candidates including Manhar Patel from Botad in place of Ramesh Mer. Later in the evening, it released a list of 33 candidates, taking the total number of candidates declared so far to 142.

The candidates named in the fifth list were Jayanti Jerajbhai Patel from Morbi, Jivan Kumbharvadiya from Jamnagar Rural, Chhattarsinh Gunjariya from Dhrangadhra, Mansukhbhai Kalariya from Rajkot West and Divyesh Chavda from Gariadhar.

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In the sixth list of 33 candidates, the candidates fielded by the Congress included Mevani from Vadgam (SC) seat, Thakor Mohansinh from Mansa, Baldevji Thakor from Kalol, Imran Khedawala from Jamalpur-Khadia, Amit Chavda from Anklav, Bal Kishen Patel from Dabhoi and Sukhrambhai Rathva from Jetpur (ST) seat.

The Congress had on November 4 released its first list announcing the names of 43 candidates for the elections.

On November 10, the party came out with another list of 46 names. It released a list of seven candidates on Friday but one was a replacement for the earlier announced candidate. The fourth list of nine candidates was released on Saturday.

The Congress is seeking to oust the BJP from power in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi where the saffron party has been in power for more than two decades.

Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.