Ahmedabad, April 18 — The Congress party announced on Friday that it will contest the upcoming by-elections for two assembly seats in Gujarat independently, opting not to form an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The decision comes after AAP named its candidate for the Visavadar seat without consulting the Congress.
As per agency report, Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil stated the decision was made during a meeting of the party’s political affairs committee. He asserted that although both parties are part of the INDIA alliance at the national level, the Congress will fight these by-elections on its own in the state.
Gohil criticized AAP’s unilateral announcement of Gopal Italia as its candidate for the Visavadar seat, calling it a violation of coalition norms. While the Election Commission is yet to announce the official dates for the by-elections, AAP had already declared its candidate last month.
He emphasized that state units of national alliances are empowered to make their own electoral decisions based on local dynamics. Referring to past experiences, Gohil claimed that Congress had suffered in the Haryana assembly elections because AAP had refused to cooperate on seat-sharing, leading to a split in votes.
He also pointed out that during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had made significant concessions by leaving Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats for AAP. Despite this, Gohil insisted, AAP’s decision to go solo in Visavadar was disappointing.
Reaffirming Congress's position as the principal opposition party in Gujarat, Gohil stated that the party would contest both Visavadar and Kadi seats in the upcoming by-elections. He expressed confidence that Gujarat voters have historically rejected third-party alternatives and maintained that Congress remains committed to representing their interests.
The Visavadar seat in Junagadh district has been vacant since December 2023 after former AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Meanwhile, the Kadi seat in Mehsana district, reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates, became vacant following the death of BJP MLA Karshan Solanki on February 4.
