Though the BJP has welcomed several Congress leaders in the party and also given tickets to some of them, the party is facing protest from its own party workers.
Though the Bharatiya Janata Party has welcomed several Congress leaders in the party and also given tickets to some of them for the parliamentary election, the party is facing protest from its own party workers. Some district leaders have voiced their grievances in communications to the party high command as well as the state leadership.
The BJP is facing workers' ire in eight seats — Patan, Mehsana, Ahmedabad (W), Surendranagar, Rajkot, Surat, Navsari and Porbandar. In most of these seats, the BJP has allotted tickets either to outsider candidates or unknown candidates.
For instance, the party has chosen Bhavsinh Rathod in Patan Lok Sabha seat, who is a Congress MLA and also has a criminal background. In Rajkot constituency, the party has chosen Kiran Patel, a well-known industrialist of Rajkot district. However, he has no roots in the party since he joined the BJP last week only. Lalji Mer, the candidate for Surendranagar, is also from Congress, and is a former MLA.
In case of Surat, Porbandar, Mehsana and Ahmedabad (W), the party has fielded new faces. There is anger among workers against Mansukh Khacharia, the candidate from Porbandar. Khacharia hasn't ever contested an election. He is also not a known face in the region apart from Jetpur taluka, from where he hails. The district leaders have sent representations to the party leadership. There is also anger against Darshna Jardosh in Surat, Jaishree Patel in Mehsana and Dr Kirit Solanki in the Ahmedabad (W).
There is also anger over the choice for Anand, Navsari and Panchmahal. The candidates for Anand and Navsari, Dipak Patel and CR Patil respectively, were involved in co-operative bank scam while Prabhatsinh Chauhan, the candidate from Panchmahal, was an accused in bootlegging cases. The state BJP is trying to convey to its district leaders that it has chosen 'right' candidates to ensure a huge victory of the party.
At the same time, it has indicated that the party may take disciplinary action against party workers if they revolt against the party during elections.
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