Gujarat polls: BJP, Cong, GPP big wigs in fray for Phase I

Voting for 87 seats in Saurashtra, South Gujarat to take place today to decide fate of 846 candidates

Over 1.82 crore voters in Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions will vote for the first phase of assembly polls on Thursday where big wigs of ruling BJP and Congress are contesting for 87 seats along side new entrant the Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) headed by former chief minister Keshubhai Patel.

There are 48 seats in Saurashtra, 35 in South Gujarat and 4 seats in Central Gujarat were the polling will take place in the first phase.

Eleven minister from the Narendra Modi government are in fray from Saurashtra and South Gujarat. While presidents of the two major parties -- R C Faldu of BJP and Arjun Modhwadia from Congress are contesting from Jamnagar Rural and Porbander seats respectively. Modhwadia faces old rival and former BJP Minister Babu Bokhiria, while Faldu will have Raghavji Patel from Congress as his nearest rival. Also, in fray is GPP president Keshubhai Patel and its general secretary Gordhan Zadafiya who are contesting from Visavadar in Junagadh and Gondal, Rajkot, respectively. For GPP, it will be an acid test, which will decide its political future. Zadaphiya will face Jayrajsinh Parmar of BJP, while Patel who is contesting after nearly a decade, will face his former protege Kanu Bhalala of BJP who is a sitting MLA from the constituency.

The first phase will see 11 ministers of the ruling BJP government, which include senior minister and veteran politicians finance minister Vajubhai Vala from Rajkot West, law and agriculture minister Dilip Sanghani (Amreli), rural development minister Narottam Patel (Udhna), fishery minister Purshottam Solanki (Bhavnagar Rural) and forest minister Mangubhai Patel (Gandevi).

Solanki who is facing charges of corruption in an alleged fishing contracts allocation scam is in direct fight against Congress legislative party leader Shaktisinh Gohil from Bhavnagar Rural. While Solanki comes from koli community, Gohil belongs to the Kshatriya community.

There are 846 candidates fighting the polls in the first phase. The BJP has pitted candidates in all the 87 seats in the first phase while Congress has 84 candidates. The GPP has 83 candidates in the first phase of the assembly polls. There are a lot of Independent candidates fighting in the first phase of polls. The second phase of polling is on 17 December. The counting of votes is scheduled on 20 December.

Apart from these three major parties, there are total 26 political parties and 383 independents in the fray, which include BJP rebel and sitting MLA Kanubhai Kalsaria, who has formed a new forum - Sadbhavna Manch - and fielded six candidates.