2 former MLAs in Cong’s fresh list of Gujarat candidates

Jaspalsinh Padhiyar, 42, Vadodara

The former Padra MLA will take on BJP’s Hemang Joshi. Padhiyar had won the Padra Assembly constituency in the 2017 polls. He defeated incumbent BJP MLA and Baroda Dairy Chairman Dinesh Patel by a margin of 20,000 votes. However, Padhiyar lost the 2022 Assembly polls to BJP’s Chaitanyasinh Zala. He had also unsuccessfully contested the 2012 Assembly polls against Dinesh Patel from Padra.

In December 2023, he was appointed the president of the Vadodara district unit of the party. In February, he stirred controversy when he tendered his “resignation” from the post citing “disrespect” by local leaders. He, however, withdrew his resignation on the insistence of senior party leaders.

Padhiyar completed his HSC in 2014. A farmer by profession, he also runs a transport business. In the 2022 Assembly polls, he had declared assets worth Rs 4.87 crore.

Rutwik Makwana, 48, Surendranagar

The former Chotila MLA is the Congress’s pick against BJP’s Chandubhai Shihora in Surendranagar. A teacher by profession, Rutwik, was elected to the Assembly in 2017 but failed to retain it in 2022. Rutwik is the nephew of former Gujarat minister Savshi Makwana, who was also elected the Surendranagar MP in 1999. Rutwik’s father Lavji, the brother of Savshibhai, is an educationist. Rutwik hails from the Koli community and is GPCC working president.

Hira Jotva, 53, Junagadh

The Congress has decided to field Hira Jotva, a new face, against sitting MP Rajesh Chudasama in Junagadh. Jotva is an educationist and is the vice-president of GPCC. He had served as the leader of Opposition in Junagadh and Gir Somnath district panchayats between 2010 and 2015. He was also elected as director of Junagadh District Cooperative Bank. He belongs to the Ahir community and hails from Supasi village in Una Taluka of Gir Somnath.