The Bhatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) have declared their candidates to contest the municipal corporation by-election for the Kankaria ward (no 46). The election is due to be held on October 12. Both the parties filed nominations on Saturday, the last day for doing so for the election necessitated by the death of Balwant Parmar. While Digant Bhatt has been nominated as the BJP candidate, Kankaria ward Congress president Manoj Rehevar is in the fray and filed nomination papers on Saturday. Senior party leaders, like city president Chetan Raval, AMC Opposition Leader Badruddin Shaikh and former city mayor Himmatsinh Patel, were present with Rehevar. The term of the candidate winning from this ward will be limited to October 2015 when the new term will start after completion of elections in seven municipal corporations. City BJP general secretaries Bhupendra Shah and Amul Bhatt were present at the filing of nomination papers besides deputy mayor R D Desai and city unit BJP secretary Geeta Ujjaini along with several party workers, the release said. Kankaria is considered to be a BJP stronghold with current chairman of Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) Dharmendra Champaklal Shah holding fort befo1re election of Parmar. The ward made a mark on the world map with the development of Kankaria lake front and it became controversial with the introduction of entry fee around the lake area. The by-election will also be held for 13 seats of nagapalikas, four seats of district panchayats and nine seats of taluka panchayats. The results will be declared on October 14.
