AHMEDABAD: Responding indirectly to the internal conflicts within the party, Gujarat BJP President CR Patil said during a public address, "Should you harbor any reservations about the candidate, set them aside and cast your vote for BJP in the name of Prime Minister Modi."
Sources indicate that BJP supporters are discontented with the candidate selection process carried out by the party's high command. From Valsad to Sabarkantha, concerns have been raised solely by BJP followers regarding the chosen candidates. Particularly, there's a significant demand for candidate replacements in Sabarkantha, Junagadh, Amreli, and Valsad, citing various reasons.
A credible insider closely involved in the matter revealed that despite objections voiced by candidates like Purushottam Rupala for the Rajkot Lok Sabha seat, Shobhana Baraiya for Sabarkantha, and Dhaval Patel for Valsad, the BJP is adamant about maintaining the same set of candidates across all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat.
Indirectly supporting this sentiment, BJP President CR Patil stated during an event held in Surat on Monday night, "Give one vote to whoever is the candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Get a vote from your family and friends as well. If your buddy tells you that he doesn't like the BJP candidate, convince him that you have to vote for Prime Minister Modi. Even if you don't like the candidate, if the candidate doesn't work, let me know. I will say to Prime Minister Modi."
The ongoing political heat surrounding Purushottam Rupala, the BJP candidate from Rajkot, and the Kshatriya Community issue has escalated over the past week. At this juncture, leaders from the Kshatriya Community are demanding a change in the ticket for Purushottam Rupala.
In a news conference on Tuesday, putting an end to speculation regarding candidate changes, the BJP president also affirmed, "Kshatriya Community should forgive Rajkot candidate Parsottam Rupala with a big heart. He has apologized three times. There is no need to replace Parsottam Rupala as a candidate in Rajkot."
Previously, due to internal opposition from BJP Party workers on the Vadodara and Sabarkantha seats, both candidates, Ranjan Bhatt of Vadodara and Bhikhaji Thakor of Sabarkantha withdrew their candidature. They were subsequently replaced by Dr. Hemang Joshi and Shobhana Baraiya, respectively.