AHMEDABAD: Amid growing suspense in Gujarat BJP over names of candidates in remaining 11 Lok Sabha seats, former Deputy Chief Minister and senior party leader Nitin Patel has withdrawn his claim to contest from Mehsana Lok Sabha seat. This is not the first time Nitin Patel has filed and withdrawn his candidacy; during the 2022 assembly elections, Patel first filed for the MLA position and then withdrew his candidacy.
Patel is a leader of Gujarat’s influential Patidar community. However, the event of filing a candidature twice and then withdrawing it has evoked rumours in Gujarat politics.
Patel said on Sunday that he had withdrawn his nomination for the Mehsana Lok Sabha seat. However, he did not justify his decision, which he disclosed on social media, even though the BJP has yet to officially declare the contestant from Mehsana.
In a social media post, he said that he had placed a claim for the Mehsana seat and urged that the party nominate him. However, sources claim that Patel has withdrawn his nomination to avoid any backlash after being informed in advance by Delhi High Command.