Bhrugurajsinh Chauhan Takes the Stage in Gujarat Bypoll Battle

The Congress announced on Friday that Bhrugurajsinh Chauhan will be its candidate in the upcoming April 23 bypoll for the Umreth assembly constituency in Gujarat's Anand district. Chauhan is set to face off against the Bharatiya Janata Party's Harshad Parmar, whose father and former MLA Govind Parmar's passing earlier in March led to this by-election.

Both the Congress and BJP have selected candidates who are novices to legislative battles, marking a fresh chapter in this political rivalry. Chauhan's candidacy received the stamp of approval from party president Mallikarjun Kharge, the All India Congress Committee disclosed in a recent statement.

Though new to assembly elections, the 62-year-old Chauhan is a familiar face in local politics, having served thrice as the president of Umreth taluka panchayat and currently holding the position of Gujarat Congress' coordinator for the central zone. The late Govind Parmar was a dominant figure, securing Umreth's seat four times, with his last victory marked by a significant margin against NCP's Jayant Patel in the 2022 state polls.