BJP suspends its national V-P of women's wing & ex-mayor Jyoti Pandya

 Ahmedabad: A day after BJP released the second list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha (LS) polls, the Gujarat unit of the party on Thursday suspended the national vice-president of its women's wing Dr Jyoti Pandya from all posts with "immediate effect." 

Although the party didn't specify the reason, Pandya told reporters that she was upset for not getting a ticket to contest from Vadodara LS seat and the party chose to repeat the sitting MP for the third time.

The BJP has decided to repeat its two-term Vadodara MP Ranjan Bhatt for the third time. 

Without giving any reason behind the suspension, a note issued by the party said, "Under the leadership of the BJP central leadership and instruction of state BJP president C R Paatil, vice-president of national women wing Dr Jyoti Pandya has been suspended from all posts and primary membership of the party with immediate effect."

"I have been working for the party for 30 years. I am not a leader who has come from the opposition party. I have traveled across the country for the party leaving my family behind. I want to ask the party, what is it that I am lacking? I am a doctor and BJP is my DNA," Pandya told reporters after her suspension order was issued.

"You have given the ticket to someone who is not liked by the people and thousands of party workers. I must tell you that dedicated, small party workers are fearful that they may get suspended (if they speak against the decision)," she added. 

She said that other cities like Ahmedabad, Surat are developing but Vadodara is being left behind. "I know it is a suicide (speaking against the party) as BJP's rise is at its peak but I told my party early in the morning that I didn't want to work. My conscience is clear," she said.

The sitting MP Ranjan Bhatt had first won the seat in 2014 with a record 3 lakh margin in the by-election after Prime Minister Narendra Modi vacated the seat and chose to represent Varanasi as an MP. Bhatt won the seat in the 2019 election as well.