AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat BJP's organizational festival has stirred political circles as the announcement of city and district presidents looms before January 15. Sources reveal that BJP election officers and three general secretaries returned from Delhi with approvals, finalizing the list of district and city heads.
Intense lobbying is underway in key cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot, with both current and former office-bearers vying for positions. In Vadodara, factionalism surfaced amid clashes between a BJP vice president and a former corporator. Controversies, including claims of age manipulation during ward president appointments, have further fuelled tensions surrounding this year’s organizational process.
Infighting within Vadodara city BJP came to the forefront during the form-filing process on January 4, 2024. A heated exchange between city BJP vice president Sunita Shukla and former corporator Gopi Talati exposed a deep power struggle.
Shukla accused Talati of making a statement that insulted women, while Talati countered, claiming the allegations were false and aimed at undermining his candidacy. In another incident, BJP leader Bharti Bhanvadiya called on the party to block the reappointment of senior leader Satish Nishaliya as district president.
In Surat district, a controversy erupted over the BJP president nomination process as 17 candidates filed forms for the post. Surat District BJP SC Morcha president Rajesh Kataria, also a candidate, voiced his anger after his nomination was rejected without explanation, criticizing the process as unfair.
In a bid to bypass age restrictions for ward and taluka president posts, several BJP leaders resorted to submitting fake birth certificates. With a rule barring those over 40 from the posts, leaders in Rajkot and Ahmedabad manipulated the system by lowering their ages. They colluded with municipal and panchayat office bearers to issue falsified certificates, claiming to be under 40.
However, rivals exposed the fraud by presenting official documents, like school leaving certificates and Aadhaar cards. One such case involved a Rajkot worker submitting a fake certificate, followed by the revelation of a similar case in Ahmedabad.
A total of 30 contenders, including current president Mukesh Doshi, filed nominations for the Rajkot city BJP president post. Sources reveal that representatives from three different BJP factions in Rajkot have petitioned the high command, urging them not to reselect Doshi for a second term.
