AHMEDABAD: A padyatra taken out by Aam Admi Party (AAP) MLA Chaitar Vasava over a local road issue has triggered a war of words between senior BJP MP Mansukh Vasava and Nandod BJP MLA Darshanaben Deshmukh in the party's South Gujarat unit.
The controversy began when Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava held a padyatra on Monday, demanding the construction of an asphalt road to Junaraj. Instead of uniting the BJP behind a development issue, the event ignited internal discord.
Senior BJP MP Mansukh Vasava held a press conference accusing MLA Darshanaben Deshmukh of covertly supporting the AAP leader and attempting to woo him into the BJP fold.
Mansukh Vasava went further, alleging that “people like Darshanaben are trying to save Chaitar,” even though the AAP MLA has faced 19 criminal cases. He claimed that BJP leaders such as Ghanshyam Patel, Prakash Desai, and Jhagadia MLA Ritesh Vasava had earlier made similar attempts to bring Chaitar into the party. “If Chaitar ever joins the BJP, he will only damage it,” the MP warned, calling the episode a dangerous sign of internal sabotage.
Darshanaben Deshmukh, however, dismissed Mansukhbhai’s charges as “baseless” and hit back sharply.
Darshanaben said, “I don’t want to give any explanation about that.” She called Chaitar Vasava’s padyatra a “drama for publicity,” asserting that an elected MLA should know the forest department’s regulations. She accused the Aam Aadmi Party of “misleading people and filing fake RTIs” to stir up issues and even alleged that the AAP district president had encroached on government land.
While she sidestepped questions about BJP’s internal conflict, her defensive stance only intensified speculation of infighting.
Meanwhile, AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava broke his silence, calling Mansukh Vasava’s allegations “fabricated and politically motivated.” He clarified that neither Darshanaben nor any BJP leader had ever supported him and challenged Mansukhbhai to present proof. He maintained that all-party coordination meetings on local issues were routine administrative processes, not political alliances.
Chaitar Vasava further escalated pressure on the administration by giving a 15-day ultimatum to start the road work, warning that he would personally meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31 if the demand remained unmet.