Lok Sabha Elections: Dissent over BJP candidates grows in Gujarat
Bharatiya Kanata Party (BJP) is facing some serious resistance against its Lok Sabha candidate in its citadel Gujarat, arguably for the first time in its electoral history.
While resistance towards Shobhna Baraiya who replaced Bhikhaji Thakor in Sabarkantha is getting aggressive by days, the Kshatriya community across the state is up in arms against Union Minister Parshottam Rupala who is contesting from Rajkot for his comment allegedly denigrating the community.
Baraiya was fielded after controversy erupted over the caste identity of Bhikhaji Thakor, BJP’s initial candidate for Sabarkantha. She, for the records happens to be the wife of Mahendrasinh Baraiya former Congress MLA who joined BJP in August 2022. Thakor’s supporters had observed a bandh in his support in Meghraj town in Aravalli district on Tuesday and the party workers in large numbers had reached the BJP office in Modasa to protest necessitating strong security arrangements.
On Wednesday, they called for a road blockade near Shamlaji and situation worsened in Idar, where tribal party workers alleged that the MLA Ramanlal Vora used unparliamentary words against district health committee chairman Anasuya Gameti when the workers were expressing their dissent against Baraiya’s candidature and sought a public apology from him.
The workers continued to protest against Baraiya even on Thursday and Baraiya had to leave BJP office in Modasa through the backdoor.
Meanwhile the Kshatriya community is protesting against Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, who
