AHMEDABAD: In Gujarat, internal strife within the BJP has escalated to the police station, with factionalism in the Kalol municipality in Gandhinagar district coming to the fore.
On Friday, the chairman of the BJP’s standing committee visited the police station to file a complaint following a brawl at the municipal office earlier in the week.
He stated that the complaint would be filed against 6 to 7 individuals, including a BJP corporator and a contractor, for allegedly assaulting both the chairman and the corporator’s husband.
The situation intensified on Thursday when 12 corporators resigned simultaneously, prompting intervention from state leadership amid concerns that the BJP could lose its majority in the municipality.
“I resigned in protest against the MLA’s despotism,” Standing Committee Chairman Prakash Vargude told local media on Friday.
“If we have to follow the MLA’s orders, there’s no point in staying in the party. We are authorised to run the municipality. I resigned three days ago, but I found out it hasn’t been processed yet. So, 11 more corporators have resigned, and another 8 are expected to resign today. Now, I’ve reached the police station to file a complaint against a corporator, a contractor, and others seen in a video making slanderous and defamatory claims.”
When questioned by local media, Gandhinagar district BJP president Anil Patel said, “Hooliganism will not be tolerated in the party. Action will be taken against those who insult party corporators in the municipality. This is an internal matter, and we will resolve it. A complaint will be filed against those involved in assaulting leaders.”
Following the resignation of 12 out of 33 BJP corporators in Kalol municipality, the current tally stands at 21 BJP corporators, 10 from Congress, and 1 independent. Should 8 more BJP members step down, the political dynamics could shift dramatically, potentially jeopardising the BJP’s control. Concerned about losing power, the state leadership has intervened amid fears of the party slipping into the minority in the municipality.
Box: Inside the Turmoil: What Really Happened?
Chaotic scenes unfolded at the Kalol municipality last week during a heated meeting about the re-tendering of development works. Tensions escalated when some attendees, angered by Standing Committee Chairman Prakash Vargude’s demand for re-tendering, began shouting and accusing him of obstructing progress. During the altercation, several individuals climbed onto tables and slapped Vargude on the head, while others hurled chairs in his direction. Dinesh Rawal, the husband of corporator Usha Rawal, was also allegedly assaulted by the agitated group, further fueling the chaotic atmosphere.