Gujarat election 2017: Congress is likely to declare its candidate list on Thursday

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Gandhinagar: The Congress is likely to declare on Thursday its candidates for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly election.

The party`s Central Election Committee met on Wednesday evening in New Delhi to finalise the names of the candidates. 

The meeting was attended Gujarat Congress leader Bharatsinh Solanki and Gujarat in-charge Ashok Gehlot.

Party sources said Gehlot might release the first list of candidates on Thursday evening, as per IANS.

The Gujarat Assembly has 182 seats.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has just ended his fourth visit to the state and its leaders are confident of unseating the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party although BJP leaders say that would not happen.

Assembly elections in Gujarat will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The first phase will be held in 89 of the 182 seats and will cover 19 of 33 districts. The notification for the second phase will be issued on November 20 for the remaining 93 Assembly seats in 14 districts.

The votes will be counted on December 18, the same day as Himachal Pradesh, where elections will be held on November 9.

The BJP has been in power in Gujarat since 1998 and the Congress is seeking to make a comeback. 

(With IANS inputs)