Guj: Cong fields C J Chavda against Amit Shah, declares 9 more

The Congress has fielded MLA C J Chavda against BJP president Amit Shah from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat and declared nine other candidates in Gujarat.

The opposition party released a list of four names including Chavda late Tuesday night and announced another six candidates Wednesday night.

With this, the Congress has so far declared candidates for 24 out of 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat, where the last date of filing of nominations is April 4 and the date of polling is April 23.

Chavda, a two-time MLA from Gandhinagar-North Assembly seat, said he will give a tough fight to Shah.

The Congress has also given ticket to Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convener Geeta Patel, a supporter of Congress leader Hardik Patel, from Ahmedabad-East.

The party has fielded its Limbdi MLA Soma Patel from Surendranagar to take on the BJP's Mahendra Munjpara.

It has given ticket to Murubhai Kandoriya from Jamnagar -- from where Hardik Patel had earlier planned to contest -- against BJP's Poonam Madam.

The Supreme Court Tuesday refused to grant urgent hearing to Hardik Patel's plea seeking a stay to his conviction in a 2015 rioting case, virtually dashing his hopes of contesting the election.

In the list released Wednesday night, the Congress named Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Paresh Dhanani as its candidate from Amreli.

Dhanani filed his nomination papers in the afternoon even before his name was announced. He claimed the party high command asked him to file his papers.

The party fielded Parthi Bhatol, former BJP leader, from Banaskantha; sitting MLA from Modasa Rajendra Thakor from Sabarkantha and Manahar Patel from Bhavnagar.

It has also given ticket to another BJP turncoat, Bimal Shah, from Kheda, and fielded Ashok Adhevada from Surat.

The state unit of the party is expecting announcement of candidates for the remaining two seats by Wednesday night.

The BJP has so far announced 25 candidates. It is yet to declare its nominee from Ahmedabad-East.

The saffron party had swept all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat in 2014.