NCP bastion Ranavav nagarpalika falls to BJP

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) suffered a severe jolt on Saturday when it lost control on the Ranavav nagarpalika as 18 of its 20 elected members joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Those joined the BJP included Shamatbhai Odedra, the nagarpalika president. Incidentally, Ranavav was the only nagarpalika controlled by the  NCP.

Out of Ranavav nagarpalika’s 27 members, seven belonged to the BJP while 20 were NCP members. After Saturday’s development, the BJP has 25 members and NCP is left with just two members. “We are trying to get the remaining two members also in the party fold,” said Vijay Thanki, president of Porbandar district unit of the BJP.

Porbandar district BJP unit in-charge Bharat Gajipara said vice-chairman of Junagadh-Porbandar-Somnath district Co-operative Bank Manu Khunti had also joined the BJP on Saturday. Khunti is son of veteran Congress leader Leeladhar Khunti, former president of Porbandar district panchayat.

“The development on Saturday proves that people in Porbandar district do not want goonda raj anymore and they believe in the development policies of the BJP,” he said.