57 Congress MLAs in Gujarat to be fielded again: Solanki

All 57 Congress legislators in Gujarat will be given tickets for the assembly elections slated for 2017-end, the party's state unit announced on Tuesday.

"We have decided to repeat all the sitting MLAs who are going to win again," Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President Bharatsinh Solanki said on his return from Delhi after meeting party Vice President Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders.

Solanki said the Congress will announce candidates list for another 65 seats by June end.

"We will also announce shortly the final lists of leader heading different party panels for assembly elections."

The Congress leader said discussion were held on strategies for the party to bag two third seats in the coming assembly elections.

Gujarat has 182 assembly seats. The last assembly elections were held in December 2012.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has a target to win 150 seats, while the opposition Congress hopes to ride its slogan of "Congress is coming" to win two third seats to return to power in the western state after over two decades.

Solanki's announcement was made in the absence of Leader of Opposition Shankersinh Vaghela, who has been sulking for quite some time since the Congress high command has been dilly-dallying to make him the chief ministerial candidate.

Political circles are abuzz with speculations that Vaghela might return to the BJP, which he quit two decades ago, along with his legislator son Mahendrasinh Vaghela.

However, with the Congress announcing that all sitting legislators -- including Vaghela and his son Mahendrasinh -- will be candidates in the 2017 elections, it could put a spanner in Vaghela's plans for a while.

Vaghela remained tightlipped on the party developments.

--IANS

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