Gujarat polls: CM Bhupendra Patel escorts 3 Anand candidates to file nominations

VADODARA/ANAND: In a unusual move, chief minister Bhupendra Patel accompanied BJP candidates for filing nominations on three assembly seats — Anand, Khambhat and Sojitra — in Anand district on Tuesday.
The move signifies that the BJP is no mood to take chances when it comes to Anand district where the Congress’s tally is better than that of the BJP.
“On Tuesday morning, Patel reached Khambhat to accompany BJP’s candidate and later he came to Anand to accompany party’s candidates in Anand and Sojitra seats for filing nomination papers. It is for the first time in the history of Anand that a CM himself has come to support the candidates,” said Vipul Patel, BJP’s candidate for the Sojitra seat, who is pitted against Congress’ sitting MLA Punambhai Parmar.
On Tuesday, Union cabinet minister Smriti Irani too reached Anand to open the party’s central office and addressed a gathering later in the day.
Her video of making an impromptu halt to savour some pani puris later added spice to social media.