Congress suspends five members in Kutch who cross-voted to help BJP

Those suspended are Abdasa taluka panchayats members Shivji Maheshwari, Mahavirsinh Ramubha Jadeja and Hurbai Majothi as well as Lakhpat taluka panchayats members Dinesh Sathwara and Bhachiben Rabari.

In his order, Parmar, noted that these members were elected to the respective taluka panchayats as Congress candidates and yet they disregarded the party’s whip to vote in favour of Congress candidates at the September 13 elections for the posts of president and vice-presidents of taluka panchayats.

“Disregarding the party’s order (whip), you voted against Congress candidates and therefore, as per instructions of the honourable state president (of Congress), you are suspended from the party for six years and proceedings will be initiated for your disqualification as members,” Parmar, MLA from Danilimda seat in Ahmedabad city, added. The cross-voting handed over power to the BJP in Abdasa and Lakhpat taluka panchayats despite Congress having won these panchayats in the 2021 general elections.

The Congress had won 10 of the 18 seats in Abdasa taluka panchayat and ousted the BJP after two decades. The BJP had managed only eight seats. However, in the mid-term elections to the posts of president and vice-president of Abdasa taluka panchayat, Maheshwari and Majothi voted in favour of BJP candidates while Mahavirsinh Ramubha Jadeja didn’t attend the special meeting of the taluka panchayat’s general board for electing new office-bearers.

The cross-voting helped BJP candidates Mahavirsinh Juvansinh Jadeja and Ramila Gajra win posts of president and vice-president, respectively, by polling 10 votes each. Congress candidates Tejbai Ker and Mokaji Sodha could muster only seven votes.

Similarly, in Lakhpat taluka panchayat, Sathvara – the chairman of the outgoing executive committee – and Rabari voted in favour of BJP’s Dayaba Jadeja and Yugraj Singh alias Raju Sardar. Dayaba and Singh got nine votes each while Congress’ Jenabai Padhiyar and Kasam Jat got only seven votes each. This, despite Congress having won nine of the 16 seats in the general board of Lakhpat taluka panchayat in the 2021 polls.

While BJP has never managed to win a general election to Lakhpat taluka panchayat, it had seized control of the taluka panchayat in 2017 in a similar manner.

Yajuvendrasinh Jadeja, president of Congress’ Kutch district unit, said: “These elected members defied the party whip despite best efforts by state leaders, Nusrat Panja, Gyasuddin Sheikh and Imran Khedawala, to persuade them. Therefore, action was needed against them to enforce discipline in the party. We had recommended action against the five… and the state leadership has taken action.”

He added that Congress has not tried to reach out to the rebels since the election. “It serves no purpose to extend an olive branch to these leaders… Mahavirsin was an important worker, who was also made chairman of the social justice and empowerment committee of Abdasa taluka panchayat. Similarly, Sathwara was made chairman of the executive committee of Lakhpat taluka panchayat. Yet, they defied the party whip.”