Bypoll to Rajkot civic body : BJP, Congress announce candidates

Congress and BJP declared their candidates for the bypolls to two Wards of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) on Friday and the parties said they will file their nomination papers on Saturday.

Congress declared Raju Sarvaiya and Heena Surani as its candidates for bypolls to Ward 19 and Ward 20 respectively.

On the other hand, the ruling BJP announced tickets for Kishor Parmar and Bhanu Talavia for the respective wards.

A farmer and transporter by profession, Sarvaiya also runs a charitable trust while Surani is an active Congress worker from Ward 20, Congress leaders said.

On the other hand, Parmar is vice president of OBC morcha of Rajkot city unit of the BJP. Talavia is wife of Dhirubhai, BJP vice president of Ward 20.

All the candidates are expected to file their nomination papers on Saturday, the last day of registering candidatures for the April 19 bypolls.

The by-elections were warranted after seats in the twin wards fell vacant due to different reasons. The seat in Ward 20 had fallen vacant after incumbent BJP councillor Kailash Ramani died of illness on February 20.

Former deputy mayor of Rajkot, Narendra Solanki, who was BJP corporator from Ward 19 had resigned on March 10 after his name cropped up in an attempt-to-murder case.

The polling will take place on April 19 while counting of vote is scheduled for April 21.

Source:: Indian Express