The Bharatiya Janshakti Party of firebrand leader Uma Bharti is likely to field at least 60 candidates in the Gujarat assembly elections scheduled to be held on December 11 and 16.
"We will be contesting at least 60 seats in Gujarat. Our list of candidates will be finalised by Thursday," party leader Umeshdutt Mathur, who is in-charge of Gujarat elections, told PTI over phone from New Delhi.
"Meetings for finalisation of candidates and the seats for which the party will contest is going on in Delhi and will continue till Thursday," he said.
The BJS' decision to field around 60 candidates is likely to affect the prospects of the Bharatiya Janata Party, as both the parties share the same Hindutva ideology, political observers said in Ahmedabad, adding Bharti's party is likely to divide votes.
During her last visit to state, Bharti had alleged that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's brand of Hindutva was a sham and praised rebel leader Keshubhai Patel.
She also had a closed door meeting with Patel and another rebel leader Gordhan Zadafia in Gandhinagar where they discussed election strategy.
