Narendra Modi, LK Advani, Madhusudan Mistry among 7 key candidates in Gujarat in 7th Lok Sabha elections 2014

The seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2014 is on April 30. All the constituencies of Gujarat are going to the cast their ballots on the same day. Big names like Narendra Modi, LK Advani, and Madhusudan Mistry are entering the poll fray from this state. Here's a list of seven key candidates from Gujarat:

Narendra Modi
The Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections is the 14th and incumbent chief minister of Gujarat. It is his fourth term as chief minister of the state. Modi was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and joined the BJP in 1985. In 2001, he assumed the post of the Gujarat CM for the first time. Modi was much in debate over the 2002 Gujarat communal riots. In 2012, he was selected to head the poll campaign for the 2014 elections and in 2013, he became the chairman of the party's Central Election Campaign Committee. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led NDA is relying on the 'Modi wave' to win an absolute majority in the parliament. Modi has been fielded from Vadodara and Varanasi constituencies for the elections.

Lal Krishna Advani
LK Advani, the veteran leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, is the sitting MP from the Gandhinagar constituency. He has held the post since 1999. He was the Leader of Opposition for the 10th and the 14th Lok Sabha. Advani was the Home Minister of India during the NDA government in 1998-2004. He was also the Deputy Prime Minister between 2002-2004. Advani was the prime ministerial candidate for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections but the UPA won those elections. In the 2014 general elections, he is contesting from the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency once again.

Madhusudan Mistry
Madhusudan Mistry is a member of the Indian National Congress. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Sabarkantha constituency in 2004. In 2009, he lost the seat to Mahendrasinh Chauhan of BJP. Mistry has been a General Secretary of the Congress since 2011, and is considered a close aide of the party's Vice-President Rahul Gandhi. Mistry is a member of Rahul Gandhi led election coordination committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Mistry is contesting from Vadodara constituency against Narendra Modi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. 

Shankarsinh Vaghela
Shankarsinh Vaghela, a member of the Indian National Congress, is currently the Leader of Opposition for the 13th Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Initially a member of the BJP, Vaghela later distanced himself from the party and formed his own party called the Rashtriya Janata Party, and became the chief minister of Gujarat in 1996. Later he joined the Congress. He was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha in 1999 and re-elected to the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004, becoming Union Cabinet Minister of Textiles. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Vaghela is contesting from Sabarkanta constituency against BJP's Dipsinh Rathod. 

Paresh Rawal
The famous Bollywood actor and comedian and Gujarati stage actor, Paresh Rawal is the first time BJP candidate from the Ahmedabad East constituency. This seat was represented by Harin Pathak of the BJP since 1989. Paresh Rawal was awarded the highest civilian honour the Padma Shri in 2014 by the Government of India for his contributions to the entertainment industry.

Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki
Bharatsinh Solanki, an Indian National Congress party member, is the son of Madhavsinh Solanki, who was the chief minister of Gujarat for four times. Bharatsinh was the Member of Parliament for two terms in 2004 and 2009 from Anand parliamentary constituency. In 2004, he became the Secretary of the All India Congress Committee. From October 2012, he was the Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation (Independent Charge), in the Government of India. In the 2014 general elections, he is once again contesting from the Anand constituency.

Dinsha Patel
Dinsha Patel, the Congress leader is a Member of Parliament from the Kheda constituency of Gujarat, since 1996. He is currently the Union Cabinet Minister, Mines in the Government of India. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections too, he is contesting from the Kheda parliamentary constituency against Devusinh Chouhan of BJP.