With the BJP delaying the release of the list of its nominees for the upcoming Gujarat polls, state minister and Porbandar MLA Babu Bokhiria's wife Jyotiben today filed her nomination as a "dummy" candidate from the seat.
The move is seen as the reflection of the anxiety among the sitting BJP MLAs about the prospects of their renomination.
Babu Bokhiria, who holds Fisheries and Animal Husbandry portfolio in Vijay Rupani government, said his wife will withdraw her nomination papers after the candidate for the constituency will be announced by the party.
"On the third day of filing nominations today, Jyotiben Babubhai Bokhiria filed her candidature as a dummy candidate," a Porbandar Collectorate official said.
The minister said his wife will withdraw her nomination after the BJP has announced the candidate for the seat.
"This procedure of dummy candidate is followed by parties to be on the safer side in case something unwarranted happens at the last moment. As instructed by the party, my wife filed her papers as a dummy candidate. She will withdraw her nomination as soon as the party declares the final candidate for this seat," Bokhiria told reporters.
When asked if he has been already chosen by the BJP for renomination from Porbandar, Bokhiria maintained that his wife filed dummy nomination as part of the system laid down by the party.
The minister said his wife filed the nomination form before the BJP announces the official nominee as she had to go to Ahmedabad on some medical reason.
The Election Commission had initiated the poll process on November 14 by issuing a gazette notification for the first phase of Assembly polls, which will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.
The counting of votes will be taken up on December 18.
The last date for filing of nominations for the first phase is November 21.
According to sources, the ruling BJP and opposition Congress have almost finalised their candidates.
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