Day after announcement | ‘Sidelined’: Four Navsari BJP leaders from Koli community resign from new district party posts

The Jalalpore Assembly constituency has a large number of Koli community voters, and the BJP leaders from the community had demanded leadership roles, such as the president or general secretary posts in the district unit.

The Jalalpore Assembly constituency is represented by BJP MLA R C Patel, a Koli community member.

Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil represents the Navsari Lok Sabha constituency in Parliament.

Ashok Patel (62), who resigned from the post of district BJP vice-president, says, “We poured our blood, sweat and tears for the party. Our wish of growing up in the party has not been fulfilled. So, all four of us resigned from the newly-appointed posts.”

Ashok Patel, who earlier held the post of Jalalpore taluka vice-president of the BJP, had demanded that he be appointed as the Navsari district general secretary of the party. He, however, added that they will continue to work for the party as its “foot soldiers”.

Echoing Ashok Patel’s views, Vijay Patel, 55, alleged that the Koli community leaders have been sidelined in the party. “We have observed that our community leaders have not given district president or general secretary posts since long. The three senior BJP leaders who resigned had demanded that Ashok Patel should be made general secretary, and honourable posts for others in the district unit. However, they (party leadership) turned down our demand. We are all heartbroken, so we decided to resign from our new post,” Vijay Patel said. He also said they “will not work against the party.”

Speaking on the issue, Navsari district BJP president Bhuralal Shah said that the party office-bearers were selected by the state leadership of the party. “Before appointments, the state leadership sent a team to the district which held talks with the local leaders. They later held a meeting with the elected leaders in the coordination committee meeting at the district level. The names were later discussed at the state coordination committee, before announcing the list,” Shah explained.