The women who will take on Narendra Modi

Shwetha Bhatt, wife of suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who is famous for taking on Narendra Modi, will contest elections against the Gujarat Chief Minister from his constituency Maninagar in Ahmedabad. She is Congress' candidate.

Mrs Bhatt filed her nomination papers today. According to reports, she has already begun campaigning against Mr Modi. The state goes to polls in two phases - December 13 and 17. The votes will be counted on December 20.

"We have moved far away from democracy in Gujarat and to restore it, everyone has to do whatever they can. Fighting against Modi is the logical step in our quest for democracy and to curb anti-democratic forces," Shwetha Bhatt said.

Jagruti Pandya, wife of former Home Minister Haren Pandya who was murdered in 2003, will be contesting on Keshubhai Patel's new Gujarat Parivartan Party ticket from Ellisbridge constituency of Ahmedabad. She wants a re-investigation into the assassination in 2003 of her husband, a bitter political rival of Mr Modi.

Mrs Pandya is very much at home in the ideology of the right-wing BJP-RSS Sangh Parivar. In fact, many of the people accompanying her in her campaign are members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the BJP's parent body, the RSS.

Narendra Modi addressed a campaign rally in Maninagar on November 30. Maninagar is a Modi stronghold - in 2007 he defeated the Congress candidate by around 75,000 votes. He has held the seat since 2002.

Narendra Modi filed his nomination papers in Maninagar, Ahmedabad, on November 30. He is looking at a third consecutive term at the helm in Gujarat.