In just a matter of hours, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party lost two of its candidates running for Lok Sabha Elections 2024, when Sabarkantha’s Bhikhaji Thakor pulled his name out from the general elections today.

Earlier, Vadodara’s Ranjan Bhatt had backed out of the elections.

In the weeks leading to Thakor’s decision, the internal politics of BJP was heating up, with discussions and speculations over the Sabarkantha candidate’s surname.

Many alleged that Thakor’s surname was originally Damor, and the BJP had played the ‘tribal’ card with the seat, according to reports.

Dissatisfied voices in the party reportedly fueled this controversy and circulated WhatsApp messages that claimed that Bhikhaji was not Thakor, but a Damor.

Thakor had to clarify the issue, saying that there are 50,000 native Thakors in Sabarkantha, and some of them are called Damor.

Earlier in the day, Vadodara MP Ranjan Bhatt also took it to X, declaring her step back from the polls due to ‘personal reasons’. Many voices, inside the party itself, had opposed her candidature in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

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Vadodara MP Ranjan Bhatt backs out of Lok Sabha Elections 2024

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