Gujarat polls: Congress alters 4 names in 2nd list, pacifies PAAS

An alliance which went haywire appears to be on track with the Congress revising its list of candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections. In a bid to pacify the Hardik Patel led PAAS, the Congress revised its list of candidates by dropping four candidates including Amit Thumnar of the PAAS from the Junagadh seat.

The new list of 13 candidates named candidates for nine other constituencies, all going to the polls in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly polls on December 9.

The changes come a day before PAAS leader Hardik Patel's expected announcement on the organisation's electoral stand with the Congress. Hardik was supposed to announce it on Monday but put it off, apparently miffed with Sunday's first list of 77 names.

Among the four replaced are two Patidar candidates, who are corporators in Surat Municipal Corporation, Nilesh Kumbani and Praful Togadia. Ashok Jirawala replaces Kumbani in Kamrej seat and former MLA Dhiru Gajera, a diamond baron, will fight from Varachha in place of Togadia.

Bhikhabhai Joshi replaced Thummar in Junagadh, while Jayesh Patel will fight from Bharuch in place of Kiran Thakor.

OneIndia News