The Bharatiya Janata Party declared its first list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections on Friday, with State Chief Minister Vijay Rupani being nominated to contest from Rajkot West constituency.
Six of the 14 Congress MLAs who had defected to the saffron party in August have been given tickets to contest from their constituencies.
Contrary to speculation, both the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) members, Varun Patel and Reshma Patel, have not been included in the first list of candidates.
It remains to be seen how the opposition Congress party reacts to it and how it challenges it before the Election Commission of India (ECI) and in the judiciary regarding the anti-defection law.
Gujarat Assembly elections will be held in two phases on 7 and 14 December and the results will be declared on 18 December along with Himachal Assembly elections result.
The first phase will cover 89 constituencies in 19 districts, and the second phase 93 seats in 14 districts.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel will contest from Mehsana, while state BJP chief Jitubhai Vaghani will contest from Bhavnagar West.
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The list comes days after the deliberations at the BJP Central Election Committee meeting called by BJP national president Amit Shah. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Minister of Home Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs and all other members of the Central Election Committee of the BJP.
The filing of nominations for the polls began on November 14.
Here is the list of BJP candidates declared for Gujarat Assembly elections:
| S No. | Assembly Constituency No. | Assembly Constituency Name | Candidate Name |
| 1 | 69 | Rajkot West | Shri Vijaybhai Rupani |
| 2 | 25 | Mahesana | Shri Nitinbhai Patel |
| 3 | 105 | Bhavnagar West | Shri Jitubhai Vaghani |
| 4 | 3 | Anjar | Shri Vasanbhai Ahir |
| 5 | 7 | Vav | Shri Shankarbhai Chadhary |
| 6 | 8 | Tharad | Shri Parbatbhai Patel |
| 7 | 14 | Deodar | Shri Keshaji Chauhan |
| 8 | 17 | Chanasma | Shri Dilipji Virji Thakor |
| 9 | 20 | Kheralu | Shri Bharatisinh Dabhi |
| 10 | 27 | Himatnagar | Shri Rajendrabhai Ranjitsinh Chavda |
| 11 | 29 | Khedbrahma (ST) | Smt. Ramilaben Becharbhai Bara |
| 12 | 30 | Bhiloda (ST) | Shri P.C.Branda |
| 13 | 31 | Modasa | Shri Bhikhusinh Chatursinh Parmar |
| 14 | 57 | Daskroi | Shri Babubhai J.Patel |
| 15 | 58 | Dholka | Shri Bhupendrasinh Chudasma |
| 16 | 61 | Limdi | Shri Kiritsinh Rana |
| 17 | 62 | Wadhwan | Shri Dhanjibhai Patel (Makson) |
| 18 | 72 | Jasdan | Shri Bharatbhai Boghra |
| 19 | 74 | Jetpur | Shri Jayeshbhai Radadiya |
| 20 | 77 | Jamnagar Rural | Shri Raghvjibhai Patel |
| 21 | 78 | Jamnagar North | Shri Dharmendrasinh Merubha Jadeja (Hakubha) |
| 22 | 80 | Jamjodhpur | Shri Chimanbhai Sapariya |
| 23 | 81 | Khambhalia | Shri Kalubhai chavda |
| 24 | 82 | Dwarka | Shri Pabubha Virmbha Manek |
| 25 | 89 | Mangrol | Shri Bhagvanjibhai Kargatiya |
| 26 | 86 | Junagadh | Shri Mahendrabhai Mashru |
| 27 | 90 | Somnath | Shri Jashabhai Bhanabhai Barad |
| 28 | 91 | Talala | Shri Govindbhai Parmar |
| 29 | 94 | Dhari | Shri Dilipbhai Sanghani |
| 30 | 95 | Amreli | Shri Bavkubhai Udhad |
| 31 | 98 | Rajula | Shri Hirabhai Solanki |
| 32 | 99 | Mahuva | Shri Raghvjibhai Makvana ( R.C) |
| 33 | 103 | Bhavnagar Rural | Shri Parshotambhai Odhavjibhai Solanki |
| 34 | 104 | Bhavnagar East | Shri Vibharvriben Dave |
| 35 | 106 | Gadhada (SC) | Shri Atmarambhai Parma |
| 36 | 111 | Umreth | Shri Govindbhai Raijibhai Parmar |
| 37 | 114 | Sojitra | Shri Vipulbhai Vinubhai Patel |
| 38 | 117 | Mehemdabad | Shri Arjunsing Chauhan |
| 39 | 119 | Thasra | Shri Ramsinh Parmar |
| 40 | 121 | Balasinor | Shri Mansinh Chauhan |
| 41 | 126 | Godhra | Shri C.K.Raulji |
| 42 | 124 | Shehra | Shri Jethabhai Aahir |
| 43 | 128 | Halol | Shri Jaydrathsinh parmar |
| 44 | 134 | Devgadhbaria | Shri Bachubhai Khabad |
| 45 | 135 | Savli | Shri Ketanbhai Inamdar |
| 46 | 138 | Jetpur | Shri Jayantibhai Rathva |
| 47 | 141 | Vadodara City (SC) | Smt. Manishaben Vakil |
| 48 | 144 | Raopura | Shri Rajendrabhai Trivedi |
| 49 | 145 | Manjalpur | Shri Yogeshbhai Patel |
| 50 | 146 | Padra | Shri Dineshbhai Patel (Mama) |
| 51 | 147 | Karjan | Shri Satisbhai Balubhai Patel |
| 52 | 148 | Nandod (ST) | Shri Shabdsharnbhai Tadvi |
| 53 | 149 | Dediapada (ST) | Shri Motibhai P.Vasava |
| 54 | 151 | Vagra | Shri Arunsinh Rana |
| 55 | 152 | Jhaghadiya (ST) | Shri Ravjibhai Vasava |
| 56 | 154 | Ankleshwar | Shri Ishavarsinh Patel |
| 57 | 155 | Olpad | Shri Mukesh Patel |
| 58 | 156 | Mangrol (ST) | Shri Ganpatbhai Vestabhai Vasava |
| 59 | 161 | Varachha Road | Shri Kumarbhai Shivabhai Kanani |
| 60 | 163 | Limbayat | Smt. Sangitaben Rajendrabhai Patil |
| 61 | 165 | Majura | Shri Harsh Rameshbhai Sanghvi |
| 62 | 167 | Surat West | Shri Purneshbhai Ishwarlal Modi |
| 63 | 169 | Bardoli (SC) | Shri Ishwarbhai Ramanbhai Parmar |
| 64 | 172 | Nizar (ST) | Shri Kantibhai Reshmabhai Gamit |
| 65 | 173 | Dangs (ST) | Shri Vijaybhai Patel |
| 66 | 174 | Jalalpore | Shri Rameshbhai Chhotubhai Patel |
| 67 | 177 | Vansadaa (ST) | Shri Ganapatbhai Ulukbhai Mahla |
| 68 | 179 | Valsad | Shri Bharatbhai Pate l |
| 69 | 180 | Pardi | Shri Kanubhai desai |
| 70 | 182 | Umbergao n (ST) | Shri Ramanbhai Nanubhai Paatakar |
(With agency inputs)