Backlash and BJP have now popped up as new synonyms, shaking up the political landscape in Gujarat.

The BJP’s strategies to field candidates in Gujarat seem to have failed, as after Junagadh, Vadodara, Rajkot, and Sabarkantha, candidates in Valsad are facing a cogent backlash.

Like Vadodara, Dhaval Patel from the Valsad (ST) constituency has been facing backlash for being an ‘outsider’.

Patel, who served as the national social media in charge of the BJP’s Schedule Tribe Morcha, is originally from the Dhodia Patel tribal community in Zari village in Navsari.

The protests against Patel started as soon as the BJP announced his name as the candidate for the Valsad seat in Gujarat.

Earlier, a letter regarding an outsider candidate went viral in which it was mentioned that the mistake of selecting Patel as the candidate should be rectified and a ticket should be given to a good candidate.

The letter also said that to avoid fallout, the BJP has to change the candidate in Valsad. An inquiry by the intelligence bureau was demanded in the letter to know the on-ground truth.

The protest has taken over the walls of Valsad, where banners against Patel were pasted.

The banners read, “Valsad-Dang Lok Sabha candidate Dhaval Patel has a lot of opposition from BJP workers and the village, which will be seen during the voting.”

In 2017 Lok Sabha elections, a localite and Valsad MLA Bharat Patel contested and won the seat for BJP.

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