By IANS
Ahmedabad : As many as six dissident legislators who quit Gujarat’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been fielded by the Congress in the assembly elections due next month.
The Congress’ first list of 84 candidates for the first phase of polls, to be held Dec 11 in 87 constituencies, has 14 new faces, including the seven BJP rebels.
The BJP rebels are: Narendra Sinh Jadeja (Abdasa), Gopalbhai Dhua (Mundra), Bhavkubhai Undhad (Babra), Becharbhai Bhadani (Lathi), Babubhai Tanti (Dhari), and Dhirubhai Gajera (Surat City-North).
The other new faces are V.K. Humbal (Anjar), Patramal Subhania (Dwarka), Sukhbhai Antroliya (Kutiyana), Javahar Chavda (Manavadar), Vithalbhai Bhuva (Maliya) and Ashok Kumar Shah (Surat-West).
The Congress has seven women candidates in the list – Kashmiraben Nathvani (Rajkot II), Chandrikaben Chudasma (Mangrol), Kamlaben Rohitbhai Patel (Olpad), Jotiben Desai (Gandevi), Bhartiben Patel (Chikhli), Kantaben Dabhi (Rajkot Rural) and Shahnaz Bani (Junagadh).
While the list was released in Wednesday, there was no word on the remaining constituencies of the first phase.
Party sources indicated the remaining seats could go to the Congress’ ally, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which did not announce any names.
The BJP announced its list of 74 candidates Sunday.