Gujarat elections: Punja Vansh says he will contest from Una, Congress yet to make it official

His announcement comes even as Congress is yet to officially announce its candidate for the constituency. The Congress had announced its first list for 43 constituencies on November 4. However, that did not include the party’s official nominee for Una.

However, Jagdish Thakor, president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, could not be contacted immediately for a reaction.

A veteran of seven Assembly elections, 58-year-old Vansh is among the seniormost legislators in the outgoing Gujarat Assembly. He has served as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the Assembly.

Vansh has been representing Una constituency in Gujarat Assembly for the past three decades, winning six times and losing only once.

Vansh has been representing Una constituency in Gujarat Assembly for the past three decades, winning six times and losing only once. His victories came in 1990, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2012 and 2017. He faced defeat only in 2007 when he lost to Kalu Rathod of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He had also fought the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Junagadh but was defeated by sitting BJP MP Rajesh Chudasama.

Una constituency is dominated by Kolis, an OBC community to which Vash belongs. An arts graduate, Vansh is one of the partners in Ajit Sales Agency, a partnership firm which is into the business of real estate development and also does farming.

The Congress leader said that before submitting his nomination papers to the returning officer in Una, he would organise Vijayeebhav Sammelan, an election-meeting-cum New Year’s gathering of his supporters and Congress workers at Patel Vidhyarthi Bhavan in Leuva Patel Samaj in Una town.

It is learnt that Shaktisinh Gohil, national spokesperson of Congress and Rajya Sabha member, would inaugurate Vijayeebhav Sammelan. Gujarat Congress working president and Rajula MLA Ambarish Der and former Opposition leader in Gujarat Assembly Paresh Dhanani are expected to attend the event.

Gujarat is to vote in two phases on December 1 and December 5 respectively. The filing of nominations for the first phase began on November 5 and the window closes on November 14. The results of the Assembly elections will be announced on December 8.