Congress Candidate Name Finalized for Vav Constituency, Ticket Assigned to Former Tharad MLA
As the by-elections for the Vav constituency in Banaskantha district are set to take place, both parties have been waiting to decide who will be fielded in the electoral arena. Gulabsinh Rajput emerged as the top candidate from the Congress party. In a last-minute move, Congress has officially announced Gulabsinh Rajput as their candidate for the Vav seat.
The seat became vacant after the current MLA, Geniben Thakor, was elected as the MP for Banaskantha. With the by-elections scheduled for November 13, Congress has declared Gulabsinh Rajput as their nominee. However, the BJP has yet to finalize their candidate. Discussions are ongoing within the BJP regarding who will be given the ticket.
Maintaining the Vav seat is a challenge for Congress, especially after losing the Banaskantha seat in the Lok Sabha elections. For the BJP, winning this seat has become a matter of prestige. So far, three independent candidates have filed their nominations for the Vav constituency.
Gulabsinh Rajput’s Political Journey
The Congress party may consider former MLA Gulabsinh Rajput from Tharad for a ticket from the Vav constituency, keeping in mind the caste dynamics. He emerged victorious in the by-elections held in 2019. Rajput has also served as the Gujarat State President of the Youth Congress and the NSUI (National Students’ Union of India).
Gulabsinh Rajput comes from a political legacy; his grandfather, Hemabhai Rajput, served as an MLA for 20 years when the Vav-Tharad assembly was combined.
Elections to be Held on November 13 for Vav Constituency
In the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, an alliance has formed between the Congress party and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the state. Of the 26 seats, the AAP contested two—Bharuch and Bhavnagar—while Congress fielded candidates for the remaining 24 seats. However, since the Surat seat was uncontested, Congress ultimately fought the elections on 23 seats.
In the Lok Sabha elections, Geniben Thakor, the MLA from Vav, won the Banaskantha seat. Out of the 26 constituencies in Gujarat, only one seat, Banaskantha, was secured by Congress.
By-Elections Announced for the Vacant MLA Seat of Geniben Thakor
The Election Commission has announced by-elections for the legislative assembly seat that became vacant following Geniben Thakor’s election. Voting will take place on November 13, 2024, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23. The nomination process began on October 18, with the last date for filing nominations being October 25. The date for verification of candidates is October 28, and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 30.
Following the announcement from the Election Commission, political activities among the BJP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party have intensified.
