Gujarat Assembly Polls 2022: BJP releases 2nd list of 6 candidates

New Delhi, Nov 12: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday released the second list of six candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

As per its second list, in Bhavnagar East constituency, the BJP has fielded Sejal Pandya instead of Vibhavriben Dave, who was a minister in the erstwhile Vijay Rupani-led government. From Dhoraji seat, the party has given a ticket to former vice-chancellor of Saurashtra University Mahendra Padaliya.

The party has fielded Mulu Bera from Khambhalia seat, Dheliben Odedra from Kutiyana, Hitesh Vasava from Dediapada (ST-reserved seat) and Sandeep Desai from Choryasi seat.

With this, the ruling party has announced the names of candidates for all 89 seats, out of the total 182, that will go to polls in the first phase of the two-phase elections. Overall, the BJP has so far named candidates for 166 Assembly segments as it had issued the first list of 160 candidates on November 9.

Gujarat will vote in two phases on December 1 and 5 and the votes will be counted on December 8.

The BJP is aiming to set a new record in terms of the number of seats won and the entry of the AAP has made it a triangular fight this time in the state which was traditionally known for its bipolar elections.

In the fiercely fought elections five years ago, the BJP had won 99 seats and its main rival Congress bagged 77 seats.

Currently, the BJP's strength in the 182-member Assembly is 111 after several MLAs from the Congress defected to it and it is unlikely that the saffron party will repeat all the incumbent MLAs.