Gandhinagar, September 29: Congress on Sunday declared its candidates for the by-elections to Gujarat Legislative Assembly seats of Tharad, Bayad, Amraiwadi and Lunawada. Gulabsinh Pirabhai Rajput - Tharad, Patel Jasubhai Shivabhai - Bayad, Amraiwadi - Dharmendrabhai Shantilal Patel, Lunawada - Chauhan Gulabsinh Somsinh. The Congress had on Saturday criticised the Election Commission of India for announcing by-elections to only four Assembly seats in Gujarat and leaving out three other vacant seats. The BJP also released names from six seats. Alpesh Thakor will contest on BJP ticket from the Radhanpur seat.

The commission was acting under the BJP's pressure, it had alleged. The state BJP, on the other hand, expressed confidence that it will retain the four seats. The ECI on September 21, announced by-elections to Amraiwadi, Kheralu, Lunawada and Tharad in Gujarat on October 21. These seats fell vacant after the respective BJP MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha.

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MLA from Amraiwadi, Hasmukh Patel, won Lok Sabha election from Ahmedabad (East), while MLA from Kheralu, Bharatsinh Dabhi, was elected from Patan Lok Sabha seat. Lunawada MLA Ratansinh Rathod won from Panchmahal and Tharad MLA Parbatbhai Patel won from Banaskantha. Two other Assembly seats in the state -- Radhanpur and Bayad became vacant subsequently, after Congress MLAs Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Zala resigned as legislators to join the BJP.

Bhupendrasinh Khant, MLA from Morva Hadaf, a seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes, was disqualified for possessing an invalid caste certificate. MLAs of Dwarka and Talala Assembly seats were also disqualified after they were convicted in criminal cases, but the matter of their disqualification is under litigation.

"The Election Commission was supposed to announce by-election to seven seats, but election for only four seats was announced. It clearly shows that the BJP has put pressure on the commission," state Congress chief Amit Chavda told reporters. "Nevertheless, the Gujarat Congress is fully prepared for by-elections," he added. The Elction Commission announced Saturday that bypolls to 64 assembly seats and one Lok Sabha constituency, spread across 18 states, will be held on October 21, and the counting of votes will be on October 24. (With PTI Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2019 12:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).