Seven candidates file nominations for Vadodara LS bypoll

BJP and Congress candidates, along with five independents filed their nomination papers from the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat here today, where bypolls will be held on September 16.
BJP candidate for Vadodara Lok Sabha seat and Deputy Mayor of the city Ranjanaben Bhatt has filed her nomination papers before the district collectorate today.
Congress candidate and president of the party's city unit Narendra Rawat also filed his nomination papers from the seat.
Five independents who filed their nomination papers today are Paresh Patel, Govind Parmar, Harilal Vasava, Jagdish Suthariya and Arun Pathak.
Vadodara is the lone Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat witnessing a by-election after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose Varanasi over this constituency.

Modi emerged victorious from Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi and Gujarat's Vadodara Lok Sabha seat, by defeating Congress candidates Ajaykumar Rai and Madhusudan Mistry, respectively.

Later, Modi tendered his resignation from the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat and preferred to retain the Varanasi seat.
The Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency is likely to witness a crucial electoral fight between BJP nominee Ranjanaben Bhatt and the Congress candidate Narendra Rawat, who was first nominated as the party's candidate in general elections during April this year.
Rawat was replaced by All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Madhusudan Mistry after the BJP decided to field its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi from the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat.

BJP Leader Ranjanaben Bhatt was not in the race to contest elections from the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat.
"I was surprised when I found my name was there as the candidate for Vadodara Lok Sabha seat. I have not even made any claims to fight the elections," Ranjanaben Bhatt told reporters.
Gujarat is set to witness bypolls for nine assembly seats on September 13 and results would be declared on September 16.