Gujarat bye-poll: BJP fields five turncoats, four previously in Congress

Ahmedabad: The BJP on Tuesday declared the list of candidates for the bye-election to the five Assembly seats that fell vacant after as many MLAs resigned and joined the saffron party recently, including veteran politician Arjun Modhwada.

Four of the candidates are Congress turncoats, including Arjun Modhwadia and CJ Chavda. The fifth candidate was an independent MLA who joined the BJP after resignation as a legislator.

The four ex-Congress MLAs the BJP has fielded as its candidates are Modhwadia from Porbandar, Chatursinh Chavda from Vijapur in Mehsana district, Chirag Patel from Khambhat assembly seat in Anand district, and Arvind Ladani from Manavadar.

The fifth candidate is Dharmendra Vaghela who was elected from the Vadhodia constituency in the Vadodara district as an independent candidate in December 2022 polls. The party is yet to announce its candidate from Visavadar seat from where Aam Aadmi Party’s MLA Bhupat Bhayani resigned and joined the BJP.

The bye-polls will be held on May 7 along with the general election.