Rebels from BJP seize control of Tankara taluka’s executive panel

The rebels proposed their candidates after Chhaya Mandaviya, the newly-elected president of the taluka panchayat proposed candidature of Alpesh Dalsaniya, Salim Abrani, Detroja, Kundariya and Bhoraniya, and Charmi Sejpal – the newly-elected vice-president of the taluka panchayat – seconded them.

As the rebels proposed a alternate names, voting was conducted where 14 of the 16 members of the general board were present. The panel proposed by the rebels won by garnering 11 votes while the BJP’s official panel got only one vote. The president and vice-president abstained from voting even as some members of the Congress, the Opposition in the taluka panchayat, also voted for the rebels’ panel.

In the 16-member general board, the BJP has nine members and also has the support of Sejpal, the lone Independent. Congress has six members.

Incidentally, Kamariya was elected president of Tankara taluka panchayat after the BJP won nine of the 16 seats in the general election in 2021. Her term as president ended on September 15 and Mandaviya was elected her successor. Dobariya is the chairman of the outgoing standing committee of Tankara taluka panchayat.

Due to the rebellion, Alpesh Dalsaniya, whom the BJP had nominated as its candidate for the post of chairman of the new executive committee, could not get elected. “The party has given a mandate to Dalsaniya for the post of chairman of the executive committee. However, some of our members, including Kamariya and Dobariya, felt that they should also be elected to the new executive committee and had their way at the special general board meeting,” Kirit Andarpa, president of BJP’s Tankara taluka unit, said.

“The party had not included names of Kamariya and Dalsaniya as its candidates for the executive committee as part of its no-repeat theory,” he added.

Interestingly, Detroja, Kundariya and Bhoraniya found them on the list of candidates proposed both by the official BJP group and the rebels and eventually, were elected by 11 votes against one while Dalsaniya and Abrani were defeated.

Kamariya told the media that she and other senior members were being neglected. “The party organisation was neither consulting us nor was it communicating with us. Therefore, we had to elect our own committee,” she said, adding that the rebels had objections to the candidature of a few. However, Andarpa insisted there was no rebellion. “This is not a rebellion. We are in coordination with all our members. But if anyone acts against the interest of the party, action will be taken.”

“The party leadership had given its mandate for Dalsaniya as chairman of the standing committee. It didn’t include names of members of the executive committee. Therefore, one more special meeting of the general board will be convened on October 12 and Dalsaniya will be elected as the seventh member of the executive committee. Subsequently, he will be elected chairman of the executive committee,” he added.

As per rules, the executive committee of Tankara taluka panchayat can have up to nine members, including the chairman.

Ranchhod Dalvadi, president of BJP Morbi district unit, could not be reached for a comment.
Durlabhji Dethariya, BJP MLA from Tankara, said that action will be taken if anyone has disregarded the party’s whip. “If anyone has disregarded the party’s whip, I will recommend disciplinary action against them.”