New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday released its first list of 77 candidates for phase one of the Gujarat Assembly poll with senior leaders from the state, Arjun Modhwadia and Shaktisinh Gohil, getting tickets.
Out of the total candidates nominated, 11 belong to the scheduled tribe (ST) category and seven are from the scheduled caste (SC) category.
On the other hand, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener and leader Lalit Vasoya will contest Dhoraji seat.
PAAS conveners Dilip Sabwa and Manoj Panara, whose names the Patel group claimed were included, do not figure in the Sunday list.
The Rajkot West seat will see Indranil Rajguru, sitting MLA from Rajkot (East), pitted against Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. He has been challenging the Chief Minister for a long time.
This is our 1st Candidate list of 77 Candidates for #GujaratElection2017.
Congratulations & Best wishes to all the 77 Candidates. કોંગ્રેસ આવે છે, નવસર્જન લાવે છે! #NavsarjanGujarat pic.twitter.com/C8OCsbTavR
— Bharat Solanki (@BharatSolankee) November 19, 2017
On the other hand, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already released a list of 106-candidates which includes incumbent Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
The CM will take on Congress' Indranil Rajyaguru in Rajkot West.
State BJP chief Jitu Vaghani had said on Saturday, "We have declared 36 names (in the second list), so the total candidates declared by us so far is 106. Out of these, 60 candidates are for the first phase of polls to be held on December 9, while the remaining are of the second phase to be held on December 14."
Gujarat goes to polls in December, where the first phase for 89 seats will be held on the 9th and for the remaining 93 seats it will be held on the 14th.
The results will be announced along with that of Himachal Pradesh on December 18.
(With IANS and PTI inputs)
