End to infighting, BJP-backed candidates elected to top posts of Baroda Dairy

The Baroda Dairy, which has become a bone of contention between two camps of the party after Savli MLA Ketan Inamdar leading a protest of milk producers alleging malpractice against the management, will see Solanki return as vice-chairman months after the BJP had backed Congress turncoat Kripalsinh Maharaul to replace Solanki. The dairy had seen a major showdown in January as chairman and former BJP MLA Dinesh Patel resigned from the post and Solanki followed soon after expressing “anguish” over Inamdar’s allegations.

On Saturday, putting up a united front, all elected MLAs of the BJP — Shailesh Mehta (Dabhoi), Chaitanya Zala (Padra), Inamdar (Savli) as well as BJP rebel and independent MLA from Waghodia, Dharmendrasinh Vaghela, posed for pictures with Satish Patel and Solanki in Zadafiya’s presence. Satish Patel, who is also a former BJP MLA from Karjan, is the party’s Vadodara district president.

Expressing his “jubilation”, Patel said Monday, “We are glad that the party has entrusted its confidence in us for a second term… This term will be two-and-a-half-years long and we will work together to ensure the best interest of milk producers.”

The BJP had originally issued a mandate for Patel and Maharaul to continue in their respective positions but the directors of the dairy, including Solanki, had refused to accept the mandate in the last week of June. After “holding meetings” with the directors and local party leaders, and following Paatil’s Sunday visit, the party issued a fresh mandate in favour of Patel and Solanki.