AHMEDABAD: Once hailed for its internal discipline and ironclad organisation, the Gujarat BJP is now witnessing open turf wars between MLAs and local units, exposing growing rifts from villages to the state capital. The conflict rooted in ticket tussles, ego clashes, and a stalled state leadership is not just political friction but a full-blown public spectacle threatening the party’s grassroots grip.
The most glaring flashpoint erupted in Bahucharaji, Mehsana, where the cold war between Taluka BJP President Kamlesh Desai and local MLA Sukhaji Thakor finally spilled out in public.
At a felicitation ceremony for newly elected sarpanchs in Surpura village, the MLA’s conspicuous absence has triggered political speculation. A furious Kamlesh Desai accused Thakor of deliberately skipping the event despite being present in the area and even threatened to lodge a formal complaint.
The show of disunity reflected a deeper rot, zero coordination between the organisational wing and the elected representative.
In retaliation, MLA Sukhaji Thakor didn’t mince words. He hit back at Desai, accusing him of sabotaging his 2022 campaign and running the organisation like a personal fiefdom.
According to Thakor, Desai is more focused on self-promotion than party building, a jab that underlines long-simmering tensions dating back to the ticket distribution battle of 2022.
Back then, according to a party insider, state BJP general secretary Rajni Patel had lobbied for the Bahucharaji seat for himself or a loyalist, but the high command handed it to Thakor instead, a staunch opponent of Patel. Furious, Patel’s faction reportedly turned cold, with local BJP leaders refusing to rally behind Thakor’s campaign.
Though Thakor ultimately won with state backing, the real blow came post elections, when Patel loyalist Kamlesh Desai was installed as taluka president, a strategic move seen as payback.
Meanwhile, a similar feud has exploded in Vallabhipur, Bhavnagar. At a Sarpanch event in Limda village, former district BJP chief Mukesh Langaliya publicly accused MLA Shambhunath Tundiya of shielding corrupt aides who extort money from contractors working on local infrastructure projects. The charges involving causeways, government buildings, and highway works are serious enough to have reached the state BJP’s corridors, even as Langaliya went rogue by defying party orders and holding the event, effectively splitting the local unit into two warring camps.
The unrest isn't limited to rural Gujarat. In Ahmedabad’s Asarwa constituency, BJP MLA Darshanaben Vaghela was recently surrounded by angry citizens over basic civic amenities. A video of the confrontation shot near the Civil Hospital went viral, prompting severe embarrassment for the city BJP leadership.
While corporators and ward workers were scolded, the political damage had already been done. Party insiders say the clip has now made its way to state-level leaders, intensifying concerns about the BJP’s urban image.
Adding fuel to the fire is the state-level leadership vacuum. It’s been over seven months since the BJP formed its new organisational structure, yet the state president's chair remains with questions. With no consensus on caste calculations, decision-making is stalled, and uncertainty is trickling down.
CR Patil, whose extended term ended after the Lok Sabha elections, is set to complete five years as Gujarat BJP president, having taken charge on July 20, 2020. Despite his elevation to the Union Cabinet in June 2024, he continues to hold the post, making him one of the longest-serving state chiefs in recent times. Now largely absorbed in his Union ministerial role, leaving the state cadre without a visible guiding hand.
The organisational drift is evident. Out of Gujarat's four BJP zones, only two have active general secretaries. Though city and district presidents were appointed months ago, there’s been no finalisation of regional structures, and programs are limping forward amid factional bickering.
From rural talukas to state headquarters, the BJP’s famed discipline is unravelling, exposing deep cracks in Gujarat’s saffron fortress.