BJP, Cong still to name candidates on some LS seats in Gujarat

The BJP and the Congress are still grappling with selection of candidates on some Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, where the process of filing of nomination papers is underway.

Gujarat has 26 Lok Sabha seats and the ruling party has declared 19 candidates so far, while the main opposition Congress has come with out with just 12 nominees.

Friday was the second day of filing of nomination papers by candidates in Gujarat and the process will continue till April 4. The state will vote in a single phase on April 23.

It seems both the parties are waiting for the other side to declare candidates on crucial seats when stakes are high in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

On late Thursday night, the Congress declared six more candidates, four of whom are sitting MLAs. However, the name of its young MLA Alpesh Thakor is missing from the list.

The Congress has fielded former MP Jagdish Thakor from Patan. The sixth Congress candidate is an OBC leader.

Both the parties have maintained they will declare the names of their remaining candidates soon.

"The process is going on and the remaining names will be declared in a short time," Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani told reporters Friday.

Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda and Leader of Opposition in the assembly Paresh Dhanani are camping in Delhi to finalise the names on the remaining seats.

State Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said, "The process is going on and the names will be announced soon."