The fear of defeat has forced the BJP to abandon the “pretence” of development and use the “communal card” to polarise the electorate, Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani said here on Monday. Mr. Mevani is contesting as an Independent from Vadgam in north Gujarat with Congress support. The BJP, he said, was targeting him on “communal lines” for receiving a cheque for ₹50,000 from the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). “But it should explain the reported rise in fortunes of BJP chief Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah,” he said. “If SDPI has links with any terror outfit, why did Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh or Narendra Modi remain silent all these years? All they have given me is a ₹50,000 cheque. Should one question this or the 16,000 times rise in Jay Shah’s fortunes?”