BJP decides candidates for Rajkot APMC polls; BKS, too, enters fray

“The administration of institutes of farmers must remain with farmers and not any political party. The BJP has sought to intervene in affairs of Rajkot APMC and therefore, we are compelled to raise our voice and fight the election,” said Dilip Sakhiya, president of Rajkot district unit of BKS.

Elections to the cooperative bodies are not fought on party symbols and so far, political parties used to allow their local cooperative leaders to take independent calls. The BJP has changed that tradition for Rajkot APMC polls.

Sources said that the party wants to replicate state BJP president CR Paatil’s no-repeat theory adopted in local body elections early this year in election to cooperative bodies also.

A committee has been formed to select candidates for the Rajkot APMC election who would have party’s support. The committee comprised former minister Jayesh Radadiya, BJP’s Rajkot district unit president Mansukh Khachariya and state BJP vice-presidents Bharat Boghra and Mahendrasinh Sarvaiya. Radadiya is also chairman of RDC Bank.

“The committee finalised the names of candidates in consultation with Paatil. The only sitting board of director been chosen to seek re-election is Lalji Savaliya as he has a major control over votes,” said a BJP leader on condition of anonymity. Savaliya was earlier the president of Rajkot district BJP unit chief.

Incumbent chairman of Rajkot APMC, DK Sakhiya and former chairman Hardevsinh Jadeja do not figure among the 58 candidates who have filed their nomination papers for the October 5 election. “The party has kept Sakhiya in good humour by backing the candidature of his son Jitendra,” said sources.

Polling to elect 14 members to the board of directors of Rajkot APMC is due to be held on October 5 and counting the following day. Of the 14 members, eight are elected by village-level cooperative societies of Rajkot, Lodhika and Padadhari talukas. Four other members are elected by traders of Rajkot APMC while two are elected by sale-purchase unions in these three talukas.

The board co-opts one member from Bedi village panchayat, in whose jurisdiction the yard of the Rajkot APMC is located while the government nominates two other members.

An incumbent functionary of the outgoing board of the Rajkot APMC said BKS’s entry won’t have much impact. “It is true they raise farmer’s voice on important matters. But farmers are not the voters in this election,” said the functionary.