Gujarat BJP MLA shifts councillors to Gandhinagar fearing ‘poaching’ by Cong

In the Dharampur taluka of Valsad district, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is reportedly wary of possible “horse trading” despite holding a slim majority in the local body.

In the 24-member taluka panchayat, the BJP secured 13 seats, just above the halfway mark, while the Congress increased its tally to 10 in the April 26 elections. An independent candidate, Sunita Kalpesh Patel, is reported to have extended support to the Congress, tightening the contest.

Amid concerns about its elected members being poached, Dharampur MLA Arvind Patel has shifted all 13 BJP winners to Gandhinagar. He indicated that their families had been informed of their safety and added that the members were being accommodated there until the taluka panchayat president is chosen, Indian Express reported.

He also suggested that while they are allowed to travel in urgent situations, they have been asked to remain at their place of stay otherwise, and would return to Dharampur once the leadership decision is announced.

Three BJP candidates—Shakuntalaben Chaudhary, Meenaben Bhoya, and Naynaben Dalvi—are said to be in contention for the president’s post, which is reserved for women for the first half of the term.

Shakuntalaben Chaudhary, speaking from Gandhinagar, explained that she had earlier served as sarpanch of Panva Ditu Khadak village and contested the taluka panchayat election from the Ukta seat on a BJP ticket, securing 3,265 votes. She noted that she had travelled to Gandhinagar with her husband and daughter following instructions from party leadership and expressed hope that her name would be announced for the president’s position soon.

In the previous 2021 elections, the BJP had won 18 seats, while Congress had five, with one seat going to an independent candidate. Over the past two and a half years, the taluka panchayat was headed by the BJP’s Piyush Mahala.

Dharampur Congress president Rajesh Patel said the party had improved its tally by five seats and now had the backing of an independent, leaving it short of a majority by two members. He alleged that the BJP’s decision to move its elected representatives to Gandhinagar reflected a lack of confidence. He further claimed that once candidates for the president’s post are finalised, some BJP members might reach out to Congress, which, he suggested, could offer them leadership positions.

The Dharampur elections last month saw a voter turnout of 84%.