Ahmedabad, May 25 – The upcoming by-election for the Visavadar Assembly seat in Gujarat, scheduled for June 19, is likely to witness a triangular contest, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) set to battle it out for the seat.
As per agency report, the Aam Aadmi Party has already fielded Gopal Italia as its candidate, while its INDIA bloc ally, the Congress, has announced its decision to contest the bypoll independently. The Election Commission announced the schedule for the by-elections in Gujarat's Visavadar and Kadi constituencies on Sunday, with vote counting set for June 23.
According to the official notification, the last date for filing nominations is June 2, with scrutiny of nominations on June 3 and the deadline for withdrawal of candidature on June 5.
The Visavadar seat, located in Junagadh district, has been vacant since December 2023 after former AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the BJP. The Kadi seat in Mehsana district, reserved for Scheduled Castes, became vacant on February 4 following the death of BJP MLA Karshan Solanki.
Speaking to media in Mehsana, Gujarat Health Minister and government spokesperson Rishikesh Patel expressed confidence that voters would reject Congress and other opposition parties. He asserted that the BJP would win both seats with a significant margin.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil stated that the party had begun preparations for the bypolls well in advance. He added that panels of observers have been set up to select candidates for both constituencies.
Despite being part of the INDIA alliance, the Congress’s move to contest alone indicates possible friction within the opposition bloc in the state. The contest in Visavadar is expected to be particularly keen, with each party attempting to assert its influence in the Saurashtra region.
In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the BJP holds a dominant majority with 161 seats. The Congress has 12 MLAs, AAP holds 4, Samajwadi Party 1, and there are 2 Independents.
