Gandhinagar: There was for some time confusion over by-election of Visavdar assembly seat which is vacant since mid December. While the Election Commission of India declared by-polls of five vacant assembly seats today and announced polling date as 7th May, the sixth vacant seat of Visavdar didn’t figure in the press release and press conference.

It is learned however that ECI hasn’t declared Visavdar by-poll due to a pending court case. Harshad Ribadiya, a then BJP candidate who contested against then AAP candidate Bhupendra Bhayani (popularly known as Bhupat Bhayani) in 2022 Gujarat assembly polls, had filed case in the court disputing the election due to what he claimed a technical error in Bhayani’s nomination form. The case is still pending and therefore even after Bhayani’s resignation and subsequent vacancy of Visavdar seat, the by-poll is not announced. Both Ribadiya and Bhayani are in BJP now and the party can settle the case in order to make a way for by-poll to happen in Visavdar.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) today announced by-polls of five vacant seats of Vidhansabha in Gujarat alongside the polling for Lok Sabha. The five vacant seats are Vijapur, Khambhat, Vaghodiya, Porbandar and Manavadar. However the list didn’t include the name of Visavdar seat which is vacant since 13th December as the incumbent AAP MLA Bhupat Bhayani resigned from the State assembly. Bhayani later joined ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) and is all set to recontest the seat at BJP candidate. Polling alongside the Lok Sabha election was likely and desired by Bhayani and BJP. DeshGujarat