Gandhinagar, Nov 10 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced its first list of 160 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections. It has renominated 69 from its total of 111 sitting MLAs.

Out of the 69, 17 are turncoats, who have joined the BJP over the last one decade.

While announcing the party's list, Gujarat in-charge Bhupendra Yadav said 40 women candidates, 24 Scheduled Tribe and 13 Scheduled Caste candidates have been given tickets.

Congressman Bhagabhai Barad joined the BJP on Wednesday and on Thursday he was fielded by the BJP. Similarly, veteran Congressman Mohansinh Rathva joined the BJP along with his two sons on Tuesday and on Thursday his son Rajendrasinh was fielded from the Chhotaudepur seat.

Former working president of Congress Hardik Patel has been nominated from the Viramgam seat.

OBC leader Alpesh Thakor's name has not been announced in the first list of 160, though the party has declared the names for the second phase elections too. It has not announced the names for the Radhanpur and Gandhinagar South Assembly constituencies.

On Wednesday night Congress MLA Bhavesh Katara resigned from the party, this seat's candidate has not been announced.

Surprisingly, 11 sitting MLAs from Ahmedabad city; all four sitting MLAs from Rajkot city; and, from Surat city two sitting MLAs from Kamrej and Udhana were denied tickets. The Choryasi seat candidate has also not been declared by the party in its first lst.