Guj polls: AAP announces first list of 10 candidates

AHMEDABAD: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday released its first list of 10 nominees for the upcoming Gujarat polls which it claimed included members of tribal, backward, and scheduled caste communities.

With the announcement, the AAP has become the first party to declare candidates for the polls in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The schedule for the Assembly elections is not yet decided by the Election Commission. In 2017, Gujarat went to the polls in December.

The announcement comes a day after AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal addressed a rally in Gir Somnath district where he promised a monthly unemployment allowance and guaranteed job to every youth in Gujarat if his party is voted to power.

Among the ten candidates, Gujarat AAP vice president Bhemabhai Choudhary has been nominated from the Deodar Assembly seat in the Banaskantha district, said state unit president Gopal Italia.

Another state vice president Jagmal Vala will contest from the Somnath seat. Two other state vice presidents - Arjun Rathva and Sagar Rabari - have been nominated from Chhotaudepur (ST) and Bechraji seats, respectively, said Italia.

He added that the second list of AAP candidates will be declared soon.

“The logic behind announcing the names early is to give more time to candidates to meet and connect with the people of their respective seats. In the first list, we have accommodated candidates of OBC, SC and ST communities,” said Italia.

While Dalit leader and former Congressman from Rajkot, Vashram Sagathiya, has been chosen for the RajkotRural seat, state AAP secretary Ram Dhaduk has been given the ticket from Kamrej seat in Surat city.

Gujarat AAP’s state trade wing president Shivlal Barasia is the nominee from the Rajkot South seat. Sudhir Vaghani, the Gujarat joint secretary, is the AAP’s candidate from the Gariyadhar seat and cooperative leader Rajendra Solanki from the Bardoli segment in the Surat district.

Omprakash Tiwari, who fought and lost as a Congress candidate in 2017 polls, has been given a ticket from the Naroda constituency in Ahmedabad.

The AAP had hinted that it might contest all the 182 seats in Gujarat.

With the announcement, the AAP has become the first party to declare candidates for the polls in the BJP-ruled Gujarat