MEHSANA: The BJP is facing dissidence in North Gujarat’s four seats Assembly seats -- Bayad, Kheralu, Dhanera, and Deesa. The rebel candidates – mostly independents -- have rejected persuasion and threats of party action. Shailesh Goswami, a resident of Mehsana district of north Gujarat and political analyst, says rebels can harm BJP in more than a dozen seats, including Himmatnagar, Khedbrahma, Amit Shah’s hometown Mansa, Visnagar, Vijapur and Gandhinagar South.
The party leadership is aware of the rebel activity and has reportedly conveyed its displeasure to the state party chief CR Patil, asking him to quickly resolve differences. The supporters of Dhavalsingh Jhala, who quit as a Congress legislator and joined the BJP, created a ruckus at the BJP headquarters ‘Kamalam’ Gandhinagar when his name was dropped from for the Bayad assembly seat. The situation reached a level where the party had to shut the doors of the BJP head office.
After the incident, BJP made many efforts to persuade Zala, but he remained firm on contesting as an independent. BJP candidate Bhikhi Ben Parmar is contesting from this seat, while former Chief Minister Shankar Singh Vaghela’s son Mahendrasinh Vaghela is the Congress candidate. Things have become more difficult for BJP due to the nomination of Chuni Patel from AAP.
In Kheralu seat, BJP’s Patan MP Bharat Singh Dabhi’s brother Ram Singh Thakor has rebelled and has filed papers as an independent candidate. Congress’ Mukesh Desai and AAP’s Dinesh Thakor have complicated things for BJP’s Sardar Singh Chaudhary.Paresh Padhiyar, a resident of Deesa, believes that in several seats in north Gujarat like Himmatnagar, Khedbrahma, Visnagar and Vijapur, the BJP appears to be unable to control the damage in north Gujarat.