The scenes outside the Vadodara city BJP office in Sayajigunj after the nomination of Hemang Joshi as the candidate Sunday were a complete contrast to March 13 when sitting MP Ranjan Bhatt was first fielded for a third term.
Officials of Jafrabad municipality said the two-storey building at Giriraj Chowk in the heart of Jafrabad housed a branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) till 2016 but was vacant after the bank moved to another location.
Gandhinagar, one of the two seats that the AIMIM is contesting, is held by Union Minister Amit Shah. The BJP has fielded Shah again, eyeing to retain the constituency for yet another term.
Both Bhatt and Thakor took to social media to announce their withdrawal from the race. On Saturday morning, Bhatt stated in her social media accounts that she has conveyed to the party that "she is not inclined to contest".