State BSP chief defects to Keshubhai’s GPP

A surgeon by profession running his hospital at Nasvadi,50 kms from Vadodara,Dr Acharya said 5,000 BSP workers across the state also switched over to GPP.

Giving reasons for his joining the newly floated party,Acharya said the policies of GPP taking people from all communities including dalits,adivasis,backwards and minorities provided a strong political alternative to achieve the dreams of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. He said the announcement of GPP to provide free residential plots to landless people in rural areas along with loans for construction of the houses,two free sarees in a year and distribution of ration through village panchayats to prevent starvation deaths as also free of charge electricity to rural domestic consumers were the initiatives intended to benefit the dalits and weaker classes the most.

“I feel that the GPP under the existing circumstances is the best political alternative for dalits to realise their dreams and solve their problems,” Acharya said.

He said the GPP being a regional party and its leaders hailing from the state itself understood the local problems more than BSP leaders from outside the state.

He said he had been with BSP so far because there were no viable alternatives available in the state as both the BJP and the Congress took least interest in the affairs of the dalits and downtrodden classes.

Attacking BSP leadership,he said the party’s central leadership did not allow local leaders to grow and that was the reason for the BSP not taking roots in Gujarat. Central leaders in-charge of Gujarat tried to impose their whims and fancies without understanding the local problems and this caused frustration among the leaders.

Welcoming them in the party,Zadaphia said the BSP leaders and workers joining his party would bringing about political change in the state which had so far witnessed only a two-party system.

Besides Acharya,other BSP leaders joining the GPP are state general secretaries Ajay Patel and Ashok Chavda,state secretaries Mohanbhai Rakhaiya and Abhabhai Vegad,Junagadh Lok Sabha in-charge Ayubkhan Darbar and Vadnagar panchayat member Kevalji Thakor.