Gujarat: BJP's Vadodara MP Ranjan Bhatt withdraws candidature on personal grounds

"I, Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt, am unwilling to contest the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 due to personal reasons," the Vadodara MP said in a post on the social media platform X on Saturday.

She was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from the Vadodara constituency in the 2014 bye-elections after Prime Minister Narendra Modi vacated the seat on being elected from Varanasi.

She was reelected to 17th Lok Sabha in the 2019 was appointed a member of the Standing Committee on Railways. Ranjanben Bhatt was nominated by the BJP from the Vadodara seat for the third time in its second list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier, in the second list, the BJP announced the names of candidates for seven Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat.

In Gujarat, the party has fielded Hashmukhbhai Somabhai Patel from Ahmedabad East, Dhawal Patel from Valsad, Mukeshbhai Chandrakant Dalal from Surat, Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt from Vadodara, Nimuben Bambhania from Bhavnagar, Bhikhaji Dudhaji Thakor from Sabarkantha and Jashubhai Bhilubhai Rathwa from Chhota Udaipur.

Meanwhile, Gujarat BJP Chief CR Patil has expressed confidence on the BJP repeating its performance and win all 26 seats in the state.

"Everyone has faith in the guarantee of our local Prime Minister Narendra Modi, everyone knows that Modi ji does what he says. Now everyone in India is also saying that - Modi's guarantee means a guarantee to fulfill the guarantee. And so the whole country believes that Abki Baar 400 Paar" CR Patil said.

Last week, Congress leader Rohan Gupta withdrew his candidature from the Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha seat owing to his father's "serious medical condition."

Gupta was among the 43 candidates announced by the Congress on March 12, which included seven candidates from Gujarat.

Gujarat will vote on May 7, in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections. The counting of votes is slated on June 4. The BJP has won all 26 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. (ANI)