Congress withdraws second list of 46 candidates, Second Candidate List withdrawn, Gujarat Assembly Election 2012

Within two hours of releasing second list of candidates for Gujarat Assembly election, the Congress on Wednesday night withdrew 46 of 98 names from the lists.

No immediate reasons were cited by the Congress for the withdrawal of candidates.

Names that figured prominently on both the lists are that of Gujarat PCC chief Arjun Modhwadia, former PCC chief Siddharthbhai Patel and CLP leader Shaktisinhji Gohil. While Motwadia has been re-nominated for his Porbandher seat, Gohil has been fielded from Bhavnagar rural. Patel is the party candidatefrom Dabhoi.

The AICC had announced two lists of 52 and 46 candidates separately after a meeting of the party’s Central Election Committee chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The Election Commission has already issued notification for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly election for 87 constituencies where voting will be held on December 13. The notifications for the second phase of the election for the remaining 95 seats (of the total 182) will be issued on November 23. Polling for the second phase will be held on December 17.

The Congress has remained in the Opposition for the last two decades in the Gujarat State Assembly.