AHMEDABAD: The resignation of Gujarat BJP general secretary Pradeep Sinh Vaghela on Saturday sheds light on long-running battles within the party across the state. Sources said Vaghela’s resignation is only the beginning; several more prominent Gujarat BJP politicians may resign in the coming days.
There are at least five events in the previous month that show how Gujarat BJP leaders appear to be at each other’s throat, damaging the image of the party that won 156 seats in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly:
The Vaghela episode
Hours after his resignation, Pradip Sinh Vaghela told the media. “I have resigned since the party requested it. I am unsure of the cause of it. “Whatever I am today is because of the party. I have done nothing wrong to be embarrassed,” he said. BJP general secretary Rajni Patel said, “Vaghela has voluntarily r signed due to personal reasons.”
Sources, however, said the development came after party leaders in Delhi asked state leaders to get Vaghela’s resignation after his role in an alleged scam appeared in pamphlets that were distributed among senior party leaders.
In the last four months, out of four general secretaries, Pradip Sinh is the second BJP general secretary who has exited. In April, state unit president CR Patil relieved Bhargav Bhatt of his duties as general secretary for the Central Zone.
Pamphlet display
Pamphlets accusing BJP state chief CR Paatil of corruption and irregularities in the management of party funds were circulated a few days ago. Surat Choryasi, BJP MLA, filed a police complaint. On August 2, Surat Crime Branch arrested three city district BJP party workers, Rakeshsinh Sokanki, Devendrasinh Chauhan, and Hardeepsinh Atodaria. One more person was also arrested. The Surat district BJP later suspended them. These workers are said to have worked with a former minister who was a member of former chief minister Vijay Rupani’s cabinet.
Baroda ‘conspiracy’
On July 24, BJP corporator Alpesh Limbachiya of the civic council in Vadodara city was arrested for reportedly mailing an anonymous letter, accusing the city mayor of corruption to local party leaders. The police arrested the corporator’s brother-in-law and another individual a few days ago. Following the arrest of his brother-in-law, Limbachiya, who was the ruling BJP’s leader in the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), quit his post.
Saurashtra simmers
The feuding between two Saurashtra BJP leaders has famed more factionalism. The frosty relationship between MP Mohan Kundaria and MLA Jitu Somani was exposed in July when the two publicly mocked each other. Somani is the current MLA from Wankaner. Last month, Somani told the regional media that MPs had worked against him. “I filed a complaint against the party MP,” he said.
Caste slur and more
Another case of BJP infighting surfaced from Chotila town in Surendranagar district. During an election in 2018, a local BJP leader, Jivanbhai Makwana, went to the Gujarat High Court demanding quashing of an FIR filed by a party leader against him in a case involving the SC/ST Act.
On July 20, the court quashed the FIR against Makwana, saying that because Makwana was chosen by the party to contest the election, the complainant harboured a grudge and submitted the complaint two days after the alleged incident.