Gujarat polls: Congress releases first list of 77 candidates; claims party's fake list allegedly circulated on social media by BJP

The Congress on Sunday evening released its first list of candidates for the Gujarat elections, to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The party also claimed that a fake list of candidates was allegedly circulated on social media by the BJP.

The State Congress Committee spokesperson Manish Doshi informed the media that they have released first list of candidates for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly.

“In the first list, we are announcing 77 candidates out of 182,” Doshi said. He also added that earlier a fake list of candidates was circulated allegedly by the BJP.

“Letter pad of Congress and signatures of our President have been misused. Our IT cell found that the phone used for BJP's website, was used to circulate the fake list,” Doshi said.

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He further asked BJP to answer people why did they resort to such gimmick and circulated the false list. “BJP must apologise to the people for doing such thing,” he added.

The list of 77 includes 12 Patidar leaders along with senior Congressmen Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhvadiya. The Congress party had won 57 seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) grabbed 119 seats in the last assembly elections in 2012.

Earlier in the day, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president, Bharat Singh Solanki met Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) PAAS leaders in Ahmedabad.

Solanki then had said that the meeting was successful as both the parties have reached a common agreement and understanding over the issues (reservation) which were pending since the last meeting.

He further had said that the PAAS leaders did not demand for any ticket to any seat. “Alpesh Thakur and Jignesh Mevani have also demanded any ticket,” added Solanki.

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