Outgoing Rajkot BJP MP Mohan Kundariya gets elected to NAFED

Bharwad, who is also the incumbent chairman of Panchmahal District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited – popularly known as Panchamrut Dairy – was elected unopposed from Gujarat’s lone seat in state federations’ constituency, as he was the only candidate to file his nomination.

Bharwad is also a member of board of directors of Gujarat State Cooperative Marketing Federation Limited (Gujcomasol). Incumbent Gujcomasol Chairman Dilip Sanghani is also the chairman of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited of India (IFFCO) as well as a member of the outgoing NAFED board.

Vadaviya said that he withdrew his candidature going by the spirit of cooperation. “It was a decision taken with the spirit of cooperation. I had received no instructions from the BJP to withdraw from the race,” he told The Indian Express.

Both Vadaviya and Kundariya hail from Morbi district adjoining Rajkot. Vadaviya was considered close to Vaghji Boda, the late cooperative leader from Morbi who also served as NAFED chairman. Boda and Vadaviya were once cooperative leaders owing their allegiance to Congress. Vadaviya had in fact challenged Kundariya in the 2012 Assembly election from Tankara in Morbi but had failed to unseat Kundariya. Later on, Vadadviya, who has also served as president of agricultural produce market committee (APMC) of Morbi, defected to the BJP. He was elected to NAFED board in 2019 from constituencies of PACS.

Kundariya, who is a co-opted member in the outgoing board of directors, too, said he had not received any mandate from the BJP.