2-time MP Ranjan Bhatt, Sabarkantha BJP candidate pull out of Lok Sabha race

Both Bhatt and Thakor took to social media to announce their withdrawal from the race. On Saturday morning, Bhatt stated in her social media accounts that she has conveyed to the party that “she is not inclined to contest”.

Thakor posted on his Facebook page that he was “unwilling to contest” although he withdrew the post soon after he confirmed to The Indian Express that he has withdrawn his candidature, leading to further speculations.

Bhatt’s move came after days of infighting in the local BJP unit that was expecting a change of candidate from the “safe seat”.

Last week, former national vice-president of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha, Dr Jyoti Pandya, was suspended after she openly opposed Bhatt’s candidature. She alleged that the MP had been “inefficient” in her 10-year tenure and questioned the flow of “development funds” meant for the city.

Days later, banners started appearing in different parts of the city against Bhatt’s candidature. “The way things have been panning out in the last 10 days since my candidature was announced, I felt that although the party has given me a ticket, I should not contest… I will continue to work as a BJP member and will strive to win this constituency for the party, whoever be the next candidate,” Bhatt told reporters.

Soon after Bhatt’s announcement on social media came Thakor’s statement on Facebook that he was “unwilling to contest due to personal reasons”. A former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) worker and OBC leader who has been with the BJP for 34 years, Thakor is a first-time nominee for the Lok Sabha elections having held positions in the local body earlier. He hails from Bhiloda in Sabarkantha.

Following the developments, state BJP president C. R. Paatil told The Indian Express that the party will soon find replacements in both seats. “Both BJP leaders have taken the decision for their personal reasons. We will find out other probable candidates on both seats in the coming days. We will select the names and after getting the Parliamentary body’s approval, their names will be announced,” he said.

The BJP has so far announced candidates for 22 of the 26 Lok Sabha seats. However, with Bhatt and Thakor withdrawing, candidates will have to be announced for six seats.

On Saturday, even as Bhatt’s supporters thronged her residence after the announcement, the elected representatives of the BJP in Vadodara and the office-bearers of the city and district unit remained conspicuous by their absence.
When asked if the party had directed her to voluntarily back off due to the ongoing unrest in Vadodara, the two-time MP said, “The party had given me the ticket for the third term; they did not deny me the chance to contest.

So, why would they ask me to withdraw? I am indebted to (Narendra) Modi saheb for giving me two terms as MP to work with him and for Vadodara”.

The former deputy mayor of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation also added that she has “worked with full commitment for the past ten years” in her capacity as an MP. “Now, the party can decide who the next candidate should be as it was my own decision (to withdraw),” she said.

On the ongoing campaign against her, Bhatt said “false narratives have been created to malign” her name. “Since my name was declared as the Vadodara candidate, whoever has been running it (the anti-Bhatt campaign), has been making allegations… (including) that my son has a mall in Australia. He doesn’t even own a shop. I have some self-respect and so I wanted to put an end to these false allegations as something new will keep coming up until I contest the elections… I do not care about the Congress putting up posters as I am strong enough to thwart them alone, but I do not need to contest an election to prove that.”

Bhatt first won the October 2014 bypoll from Vadodara when Prime Minister Narendra Modi vacated the constituency, which he had won by a record margin of 5.7 lakh votes, in favour of Varanasi. In the 2019 general elections, she won the seat by a margin of 5.89 lakh votes (72.22 per cent).