LS polls: Gujarat to witness direct contest between BJP-Congress

A total of 573 candidates have filed their nomination papers for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, where elections will be held in a single phase on April 23. The state will see a direct contest between the BJP, which swept all 26 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, and the Congress, which has not entered into an alliance with any party.

The last date of withdrawal of nomination forms is April 8. "A total of 573 candidates have filed their nomination forms for 26 Lok Sabha seats of the state. On the last day of filing nominations, which was Thursday, 313 candidates submitted their forms," Additional Chief Electoral Officer Ashok Manek said. The scrutiny of the forms is underway, he added. In 2014, the Congress had given the Porbandar seat to the NCP.

Among the main contenders this time are BJP national president Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, Union minister and Dahod MP Jasvantsinh Bhabhor, the Congress' leader of opposition in the Assembly Paresh Dhanani and Babu Katara, a former BJP MP-turned-Congressman, who is an accused in a human trafficking case.

(With inputs from agencies.)