Cong leaders rewarded after crushing defeat?
State Congress leaders have alleged that the party's high command does not want any reforms in its Gujarat unit. This comes after the high command recently appointed AICC general secretaries — Ramakrishna Ojha, B M Sandeep and Usha Naidu – to look after several Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. The decision has triggered a heated debate in the party unit. Under the leadership of the three, the Congress managed to win only 17 Assembly seats in one of the poorest electoral performances of the party in recent years. A section of leaders even directly holds the three responsible for the party’s defeat.
BJP applies no-repeat formula in local bodies
Keeping the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in mind, the BJP has implemented a no-repeat formula in Gujarat local bodies. As a result, the party has given new faces a chance. Although the party has appointed new mayors in almost all major cities, Ankita Parmar, the chairman of the Vadodara tehsil panchayat, is making headlines. The primary reason for her getting such a responsibility at a young age is because Parmar is popular on Instagram, as a gym trainer. She became a member of Vadodara Taluka in panchayat elections held two-and-a-half years ago.
Infighting in Gujarat BJP refuses to abate
The Sojitra Nagar Palika in Anand is a glaring example of internal BJP strife in Gujarat. According to locals, five BJP members have rebelled in Palika, where the Congress has snatched power from the BJP. In this municipality, 15 BJP members and nine Congress members have been elected, the first BJP politician, Rajnikant Patel, was elected president for two and a half years. In the election of office-bearers for the next two and a half years, two BJP and Congress members are abroad, five disgruntled BJP members supported Congress, and the BJP lost control, while on Tuesday BJP’s nine councillors in Kalol municipality have their resignations.
Dilip Singh Kshatriya
Our correspondent in Gujarat
dilipsingh@newindianexpress.com