Lok Sabha elections: 2 BJP groups ‘clash’ over ticket distribution for Amreli seat

No police complaint has been filed so far in connection with the incident. However, Chudasama told The Indian Express Sunday that there was no discontent and that Sutariya will remain the BJP candidate from Amreli. “There were less than 10 workers who met me and expressed their grievances. I am not aware about the clash as nothing happened in my presence.”

Some video clips showed a few injured party members lying on beds in a hospital, where a large number of the party workers had gathered, after the alleged clash between the groups led by incumbent MP Naran Kachhadiya and sitting Amreli MLA Kaushik Vekariya.

The group led by Kachhadiya has been apparently unhappy over the BJP nominating district panchayat president Sutariya from Amreli. “Four persons approached me and said why I went to complain against Vekariya (in the meeting with Chudasama) and attacked me. They also tried to kidnap me but I managed to escape. I suffered injuries on my face, and they also took away my necklace and mobile phone,” BJP worker Hiren Viradiya alleged.

No police complaint has been filed yet in this connection.

However, former district president of BJP Bharat Kanabar in a post on X, while tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister Amit Shah, claimed that casteism was leaving no space for a meritorious and eligible candidates. “Casteism is the most dreaded bomb that blows away meritocracy. So-and-so seat is considered to belong to Koli society, so-and-so reserved of Patel society, so-and-so belongs to Thakor society or Ahir society or Kshatriya society. Is there any seat reserved for eligible candidates in this??” he said in a post in Gujarati.

All 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will witness polling in a single phase on May 7.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi claimed the fight within the BJP was of “claims over the share of loot”.