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Journalism of Courage
GANDHINAGAR, Jan 24: The BJP bosses in Gandhinagar have started taking recourse to supersession8217; to contain widespread rebellion among the party8217;s elected members even as the ruling BJP continues to lose one civic body after another in the State.
An apparently shaken State BJP leadership has begun fire-fighting to contain the large-scale resentment in municipalities and panchayats, while the Congress has started reaping the political gains.
Zadapia said the party had suspended 11 members for rebellion in the recent elections of the president and vice-president of the Bardoli Municipality, while action had been taken against eight for anti-party activity during the Chandkheda municipality election. Similar action will be initiated against those responsible for letting the Dehgam civic body slip into the Congress hands, he warned.
Despite the BJP enjoying absolute majority in the Gandhinagar taluka panchayat, the district party unit, through party bosses in the Secretariat, managed to get the panchayat superseded in the wake of rebellion by its presidential candidate who allegedly flouted the party whip not to contest.
The district BJP chief had obtained panchayat president Udesinh Thakore8217;s resignation to pave the way for another leader. But, Thakore withdrew his resignation and insisted on contesting the election. Despite this, the resignation had been endorsed, under the rules, by the Gandhinagar district panchayat general body which is also dominated by the BJP.
Later, the District Development Officer DDO sent his report to the Development Commissioner who granted a stay in Thakore8217;s favour. Soon, local party leaders quot;managedquot; to get the stay vacated and got his resignation endorsed.
Five of the 15 BJP members in the 27-seat taluka panchayat also rebelled at the time of the vice-president8217;s election, forcing the leadership to put off the election. Finally, the panchayat was superseded.
Similarly, the BJP got the Veraval-Patan municipality superseded following defection of 22 members to the Congress during the presidential election there. The Veraval Deputy Collector has been appointed administrator which the Congress has protested.
The trouble is brewing in the BJP-ruled Surendranagar civic body, with 14 members submitting resignations to the district unit leadership in protest against the mandate not to participate in the president and vice-president8217;s elections.
