Rajkot: Paresh Dhanani concedes, Congratulates Parshottam Rupala on victory

Updated: Jun 4th, 2024


Despite his involvements in controversies related to comments made on Kshatriya community, Parshottam Rupala has emerged victorious against his rival from Congress, Paresh Dhanani, who congratulated him over his feat.

Gujarat Congress leader Paresh Dhanani had announced his decision to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from Rajkot, and this equation made the constituency an important seat.

His announcement came in response to the continued candidacy of union minister, Parshottam Rupala, amid growing discontent over his controversial remarks about Kshatriyas.

Dhanani, who previously served as the Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, likened Rupala’s comments to the disrobing of Draupadi in the Mahabharata, highlighting the perceived insult to the Kshatriya community.

Rajkot registered an average voting figure of 59.60% on May 7 polling in the phase III.

Despite initial hesitations, senior Congress leaders persuaded Dhanani to enter the fray, setting the stage for a high-stakes electoral battle.

On the other side, the BJP’s Rupala, a member of the Patidar community and current union agriculture minister, faced severe backlash from the Kshatriya community.

This dissent stemmed from his remarks concerning historical inter-faith marriages between Maharajas and Mughals.

Despite apologising and engaging with community leaders, the agitation against him continued growing.

The conflict peaked on Apr 15, when over 1,50,000 Kshatriya community members from Gujarat and neighbouring states rallied in Rajkot.

The ‘Kshatriya Maha Semmelan’ remained peaceful but resolute, in its demand for the BJP to withdraw Rupala’s candidacy.

The Congress hoped to capitalise on this unrest, positioning Dhanani as a candidate who could’ve unified and represented the diverse interests of the constituency.

All eyes were on this high-profile contest that could shift the political dynamics in this key Gujarat constituency.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)


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