Gandhinagar: At the end of the formal nomination withdrawal period for the Umreth assembly byelection, six candidates remain in the fray. The byelection was necessitated because of the death of sitting MLA Govind Parmar. According to a statement released by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Gujarat, the final list includes Harshad Parmar (BJP), who is the son of the late MLA, and Bhrugurajsinh Chauhan representing the Congress party. Joining the primary contenders are Maulik Shah of the Bharatiya National Lok Dal, alongside three independent candidates: Jitesh Sevak, Nirupa Madhu, and Mahendra Parmar.The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) notably opted out of the contest to focus on upcoming local body polls, leaving the seat to a direct battle between traditional rivals. The byelection was necessitated by the passing of sitting BJP MLA Govind Parmar on March 6, who had served four terms before his death at age 72. Voting is scheduled for April 23, with the final counting of votes set to take place on May 4. This election is seen as a critical test of local influence in the Anand district.
