Lok Sabha polls 2024: BJP faces intense infighting in otherwise predictable Gujarat

Ahmedabad: Chairs are flung in live events, leaders are being booed while party leaders are out in open criticising decisions. On top of it, the ruling BJP is in a fix on how to deal with the Kshatriya community intensifying their protest demanding withdrawal of Union minister Parshottam Rupala's Lok Sabha ticket over his alleged defamatory comment against the community.

In what was considered to be a smooth ride for the ruling party to hit a hat-trick of winning all 26 LS seats in the state, the Gujarat BJP is reeling under internal dissent and the Kshatriya community's outrage.

These issues have not only dented the party's reputation but also raised questions on the party's famed discipline.  

"Every party which has been ruling for so many years will have disgruntled voices, and dissent is natural during elections. But, what fueled large-scale dissent was cancellation of two LS tickets — Vadodara and Sabarkantha. Supporters of some disgruntled leaders thought that if they protested, the party may reconsider tickets. Thankfully, the party realised this and it won't happen anymore," a BJP insider said.

In Vadodara, the BJP changed sitting MP Ranjan Bhatt and brought lesser known Hemang Joshi while in Sabarkantha, a former primary school teacher Shobna Baraiya was brought in to replace Bhikhaji Thakor.

"It is not that new candidates are more popular than those replaced. As a matter of fact, Joshi is hardly known among voters compared to Bhatt. Baraiya is the wife of a Congress turncoat (Mahendrasinh Baraiya). It shows that the party is confident of winning the seats even by fielding obscure leaders and hence, withdrawing candidature from these two seats gave way to disgruntled elements to raise voices," the insider added.

With 156 seats in the house of 182, the BJP is at its peak in the state while the opposition at its weakest footing. 

However, the ongoing protest by the Kshatriya community against Union minister and Rajkot LS candidate Parshottam Rupala, belonging to the Kadva Patel community, has put the BJP on slippery ground. Kadva Patels are dominant in Rajkot and many other seats in Saurashtra. Besides, changing Rupala would mean backlash from the community. 

Sources indicate that Rupala will not withdraw his name and an instruction has been sent to quell the agitation anyhow in a peaceful manner.