BJP fifth list includes Gujarati actor, Congress defector

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New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday declared its fifth list of 13 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections. With this the BJP, which is ruling the state since last two decades, has declared contestants for 148 out of total 182 seats. The party has fielded Gujarati film actor Hiteshbhai Kanodiya, son of former BJP MLA Naresh Kanodiya, from Ider constituency in Sabarkantha district. He had contested unsuccessfully the last election in 2012 from Kadi Assembly constituency in Kheda district. The party has fielded Karshanbhai Punjabhai Solanki from Kasi Reserve seat. The BJP has also given ticket to Congress defector Amitbhai Chaudhary, who left Congress to join the saffron camp during the Rajya Sabha election early this year. A close confidant of former Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela, Chaudhary has been fielded from Mansa constituency. In 2012 he had defeated BJP's D.D. Patel by a margin of over 8,000 votes.