Two former MLAs in fray for Talala bypoll

The ruling BJP as well as opposition Congress have fielded former MLAs for the by-election to Talala constituency in Gir Somnath district.
While Congress has given ticket to Bhagwanji Barad, who had won this seat in 2007, the BJP has chosen Govind Parmar, who had won from this constituency in the 2002 polls.
Both Barad and Parmar filed their nomination papers today, spokespersons of their parties said.
The bypoll was necessitated as the sitting Congress MLA Jasu Barad passed away in January this year. Bhagwanji Barad is the younger brother of Jasu Barad.
The election would be held on May 16, while counting will be done on May 19, a notification by the Election Commission said.

This will be the second face-off between these two candidates, as they had contested against each other from this seat in 2007 Assembly polls, in which Barad had defeated Parmar.
In 2002 Assembly election, Parmar became an MLA by defeating Jasu Barad. However, in the last Assembly election of 2012, Jasu defeated Parmar by a thin margin.