While the eyes of the country focused on the high-octane campaigns of the major political parties, a number of less obvious but equally viable candidates were quietly registering as candidates in the Lok Sabha 2024 elections in Gujarat. Let’s take a look at a few of them!

Richest Candidate in the Fray 

Rajnikant Ambalal Patel, a resident of Kalol Juna Chora, is an independent candidate for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat. According to his nomination forms,  he is a businessman-farmer, who owns property worth a whopping ₹7.20 crore.

Limited assets? Not an issue! 

Some candidates, like Jamnagar construction worker Babubhai Jethabhai Gohil, are out to prove that one does not need to spend big bucks on campaigns to want to serve the people. In fact, they are hoping to bust the myth that one needs considerable assets to even contest the polls. 

Take for instance, Ashish Kumar Bhoi who is contesting the Lok Sabha election as an independent candidate. According to his affidavit, the LLB student has assets totalling just ₹40,445, with his wife’s assets totalling ₹1,200. Interestingly, Ashish Kumar also contested the Assembly elections as an independent candidate.  

It’s not just independent candidates either. 

Patel Piyush Kumar, is contesting the Banaskantha seat on behalf of the Bharatiya Yuva Jan Ekta Party, According to his form, he is an agricultural labourer, with total declared assets of ₹65,000 along with cash on hand and bank balance.

Similarly, Rekhaben Choudhary, who is contesting the Bardoli Lok Sabha seat on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket, has ₹1,000 cash on hand and another ₹1,000 in her bank account. Notably, Bardoli is one of just four seats reserved for tribal communities in Gujarat. Rekhaben will be competing against Congress candidate  Siddharth Chaudhary and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Prabhu Vasava when Gujarat votes on May 7. 

From Sarpanch to MLA? 

Then there are those, like Mahipatsinh Chauhan, who are no strangers to electoral politics. 

A well-known face in central Gujarat and an independent candidate in the Khambhat by-election, Chauhan won his very first election, to become sarpanch of Laval village in Kheda district. He also garnered 9,514 votes in the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections, as an independent candidate, despite eventually losing the Khambhat seat to Congress candidate Chiragkumar Arvindbhai Patel. A well-known face in the region, Chauhan also runs an organization that works on children’s welfare, and raises awareness on local issues such as unemployment and social justice.

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