Lok Sabha Election 2024: Two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates, representing Vadodara and Sabarkantha Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat, on Saturday announced that they will not be contesting in the forthcoming general elections, citing personal reasons.

Ranjan Bhatt, the sitting member of parliament representing the Vadodara constituency who was fielded by the saffron party, declared that she was not interested in contesting the election. While some sections within the BJP had firmly opposed her candidature, Bhikhaji Thakor, another party candidate for Sabarkantha, also declared on social media that he would not be participating in the election.

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"I, Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt, am unwilling to contest the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 due to my personal reasons," Bhatt announced on X. Similarly, Thakor announced on Instagram that he did not want to fight the election. "I, Bhikhaji Thakor, am unwilling to contest the Sabarkantha Lok Sabha 2024 election due to personal reasons," Thakor said.

Bhatt’s decision comes days after banners criticising BJP’s decision to renominate her from the Vadodara Lok Sabha came up at different spots in the city. A few BJP leaders in the area had also voiced their disapproval of Bhatt's nomination. Bhatt had won the 2014 by-election after Prime Minister Narendra Modi vacated the seat. After winning the 2019 election, she was declared the BJP's nominee for the next election.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Dates Announced

Last week, the ECI announced that the Lok Sabha polls for 543 seats will be held in seven phases starting from April 19. In the first phase, the elections will be held in 102 Lok Sabha constituencies across 21 States and Union Territories. The nomination process for 102 parliamentary constituencies where voting will be held in the first phase began on Wednesday with the issuance of a notification.

The voting in the second phase will be held on April 26, followed by subsequent phases on May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

In Gujarat, the voting will be held in a single phase for its 26 Lok Sabha seats on May 7. The BJP won all of these seats in the general elections of 2014 and 2019.

(With Agency Inputs)