BJP, Congress candidates file nomination for Rajya Sabha polls

AHMEDABAD: BJP candidates Shambhuprasad Tundiya, Chunibhai Gohil and Lalsinh Vadodiya and Congress' Madhusudhan Mistry today filed their nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat.

Tundiya, a religious leader belonging to the Dalit community, Gohil, a leader of fishermen community and Vadodia, a Kshatriya community leader from Central Gujarat's Anand district, were handpicked by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi keeping in mind the regional and caste equations ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The three filed their nominations before Assembly secretary D M Patel today in presence of Modi, revenue minister Anandi Patel, minister of state Pradeepsinh Jadeja, party chief whip in Assembly Pankaj Desai, among others.

The saffron party, under its no-repeat policy, decided not to nominate any of its three outgoing Rajya Sabha MPs Purushottam Rupala, Bharatsinh Parmar and Natuji Thakore.

Senior Congress leader Madhusudhan Mistry, who is party in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, filed his nomination papers in presence of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Arjun Modhwadia, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Shankarsinh Vaghela and other party leaders.

Elections to the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) will take place on February 7.