The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Gujarat): In a strategic move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen to field five former MLAs, four of whom were part of the Congress, including the erstwhile leader of the opposition Arjun Modhwadia, and one independent legislator, for the forthcoming assembly by-elections in Gujarat. This decision comes after these legislators relinquished their Gujarat assembly memberships in recent months, sparking by-elections in their constituencies.
The constituencies of Vijapur, Porbandar, Manavadar, Khambhat, and Vaghodia are set to witness by-elections after their representatives, four from Congress and one independent, resigned between December 2023 and March 2024, later aligning with the BJP. The party has now officially announced these individuals as its candidates for the impending electoral contest in these five seats.
The defected Congress MLAs include CJ Chavda from Vijapur, Arjun Modhwadia from Porbandar, Arvind Ladani from Manavadar, and Chirag Patel from Khambhat. In addition, Dharmendrasinh Vaghela, the erstwhile independent MLA from Vaghodia, also tendered his resignation and has since joined the ranks of the BJP. These ex-legislators had previously secured victories over BJP contenders in the December 2022 assembly elections, wherein the BJP emerged victorious in a significant majority of the seats.
As of now, the Congress party has not disclosed its candidates for these five assembly constituencies. The by-elections, scheduled for May 7, coincide with the voting for all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, offering a day of significant electoral activity in the state. However, the Election Commission has yet to call a by-election for the Visavadar seat due to an ongoing legal case related to the election of its former MLA Bhupat Bhayani, an Aam Aadmi Party candidate who resigned in December and later joined the BJP, at the Gujarat High Court.