AHMEDABAD: In a high-stakes political showdown, North Gujarat’s Kadi and Saurashtra’s Visavadar assembly by-elections are set for a three-cornered contest, as candidates from the BJP, Congress, and AAP filed their nominations on the final day.
On Sunday night, the BJP announced Rajendra Chavda and Kirit Patel for Kadi and Visavadar, respectively, setting the stage for a fierce battle.
Congress responded by fielding former MLA Ramesh Chavda in Kadi and Bhesan Taluka president Nitin Ranpariya in Visavadar, aiming to reclaim the lost ground.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party is banking on heavyweight Gopal Italia and Jagdish Chavda to make inroads in Kadi and Visavadar, adding intensity to the electoral turf war.
In a fierce political buildup, the by-elections have ignited a triangular clash with the BJP, Congress, and AAP unveiling heavyweight candidates backed by caste equations and political legacy.
The BJP has made a decisive move in Visavadar by fielding Kirit Babulal Patel -- a prominent Patidar face with deep organisational roots -- as its candidate.
Patel, an engineering graduate and agriculture-construction entrepreneur, filed his nomination today in the presence of party veterans, signalling BJP’s aggressive intent.
Patel’s résumé reads like a BJP loyalist’s blueprint -- former Youth BJP President (Junagadh), current Junagadh District BJP President, and Chairman of Junagadh District Co-operative Bank.
His command over the rural Patidar vote bank in Visavadar makes him a formidable challenger.
Meanwhile, the Congress has countered with Nitin Ranpariya, Bhesan Taluka Congress President, banking on agrarian issues and opposition to the eco-sensitive zone to galvanize support.
Adding fire to the fray, AAP has placed its bets on Gopal Italia, a fiery Leuva Patidar youth icon. Italia, who once gained notoriety for hurling a sandal at the then Home Minister, bring in aggressive activism and a controversial past.
Though defeated in the 2022 Katargam battle by a margin of over 64,000 votes, AAP sees him as a disruptor in Visavadar, a Patidar-stronghold constituency historically dominated by Leuva Patidar candidates.
In Kadi, BJP has fielded 66-year-old Rajendra Kumar Chavda, a veteran with decades of Sangh roots, a BA in Economics, and a long track record in local politics including jail term during the 1980s’ anti-inflation protests.
Congress has responded with Rameshbhai Maganbhai Chavda, a seasoned former MLA with a legal background and a strong local base in Rohitwas.
Meanwhile, AAP's Jagdish Chavda, a Dalit leader from Khaval and state SC president, enters the fray riding on grassroots activism and social justice narratives.
With nomination filings concluding today, all three parties have now turned their focus toward full-scale campaigning in what promises to be a volatile, caste-sensitive by-election season in Gujarat.