Six candidates submitted a total of eight nomination papers on Monday for the Umreth Assembly constituency by-election in Gujarat. The polling is set for April 23 as per the Election Commission’s schedule. The nomination process commenced following a notification issued on March 30. Among those who filed nominations on April 6 are Jiteshkumar Sevak, Mahendra Parmar, Bhrugurajsinh Chauhan, Rajnikumari Chauhan, Nirupaben Madhu, and Sunilkumar Bhatt.
Candidates are required to submit an affidavit in Form-26 along with their nomination papers, in line with Election Commission guidelines. Bhrugurajsinh Chauhan, the Congress candidate, expressed optimism about winning. Prior to the filing, a ‘Vijay Vishwas Sammelan’ was organized, where party leaders addressed supporters. State Congress president Amit Chavda criticized the ruling BJP, accusing its leaders of becoming “arrogant and authoritarian due to power.”
Chavda emphasized that the by-election’s outcome would shape the future’s trajectory, stating it was more than a contest between candidates but a battle to amplify the people’s grievances. He alleged that corruption funds were channeled to the Gujarat BJP office and implicated the entire system. Senior Congress figures like Tushar Chaudhary, Bharatsinh Solanki, Jagdish Thakor, and Imran Khedawala attended the nomination process alongside party members from Anand district.
On the other hand, the BJP nominated Harshad Parmar, son of the late MLA Govind Parmar, for the by-election following his father’s demise in March. Harshad Parmar, known for his local governance involvement and roles in Chikhodara gram panchayat, submitted his nomination in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and other senior leaders. The BJP aims to secure the seat by leveraging his grassroots experience and his father’s political heritage.
