With the scrutiny of candidates concluded, the electoral landscape for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and five Assembly bypolls in Gujarat has taken shape. As per the final list released by the Election Commission, 266 candidates will vie for the 26 Lok Sabha seats, while 24 candidates will contest the Assembly bypolls.
Between April 12 and April 19, a total of 433 candidates submitted their nominations for the Lok Sabha elections, and 37 candidates entered the race for the bye-elections. After verification of nomination papers on April 20 and 21, 328 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and 27 candidates for the Assembly bye-elections were approved. Monday, April 24, was the last date for candidates to withdraw their nominations.
Following the cancellation of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani’s nomination papers on Sunday and the subsequent withdrawal of nominations by eight candidates from other parties and independents, BJP’s Mukesh Dalal has been declared the unopposed winner from the Surat Lok Sabha seat. In Panchmahal, the BSP candidate withdrew from the Lok Sabha race and extended support to the BJP. Similarly, in the Waghodia Assembly by-election, independent candidate and former MLA Madhu Shrivastav withdrew his nomination and pledged his support to the Congress.
Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha constituency has the highest number of candidates at 18, including those from the BJP, Congress, and eight independents, as well as candidates from various smaller parties. In contrast, Bardoli, a seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes, has the fewest candidates at three.
The Vijapur seat has the highest number of contestants for the bye-elections with eight candidates, while only two candidates are in the fray from Vadodara’s Waghodia constituency. Former MLA Shrivastav, who had filed his nomination as an independent for the Waghodia bypolls, withdrew his nomination in support of Congress candidate Kanu Gohil. He stated that he decided to put his efforts towards ensuring the victory of the Congress’s Kshatriya candidate, in alignment with the ongoing agitation by the community in the state.
In the Panchmahal Lok Sabha constituency, BSP leader Shailesh Thakar, who had initially filed his nomination as an independent candidate, withdrew his candidature in the presence of Godhra MLA CK Raulji and former Gujarat Deputy Speaker and Sehra MLA Jetha Ahir. Thakar expressed his support for BJP candidate Rajpalsinh Jadav, citing his agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and his commitment to preserving Indian culture.
With eight candidates in the fray, the Panchmahal Lok Sabha seat is expected to witness a close contest between Jadav and Lunawada Congress MLA Gulabsinh Chauhan.
