Battlelines are drawn between Congress and BJP for the June 2 bypolls in two Lok Sabha and four Assembly seats in Gujarat, which will be a prestige fight for the opposition party as it holds all these seats.
The ruling BJP is expected to try hard and dent the Congress' seat tally in both the Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls.
The state BJP, which had prided itself in inducting former gun-toting Congress MP from Porbandar Vitthal Radadia into its fold, has not only given him a ticket from the same Lok Sabha seat which he represented, but also fielded his son Jayesh from the Jetpur Assembly segment.
A Patel community strongman, Radadia is pitted against political novice Vinu Amipura who was earlier city Youth Congress president of Porbandar.
Radadia, who courted controversy for flashing his gun at a toll booth, fell out with Congress after he was not made the Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly. He later joined BJP.
In the second Lok Sabha seat, bypolls are being held due to the death of sitting Congress MP Mukesh Gadhvi.
Expecting a sympathy wave, Congress has given a ticket to Krishna, wife of the late leader. She is expected to face a tough contest from BJP's Haribhai Chaudhary.
For the Limbdi Assembly seat, Congress has given a ticket to party MP Soma Patel's son Satish. Satish will also face a tough fight against Kiritsinh Rana, a former minister in the Narendra Modi government.
