Congress sweeps Amul polls

ANAND, May 27: With 11 of the 12 candidates from Congress-backed Ramsinh Parmar panel being elected to the prestigious Amul Dairy Board of Directors, the political equations in Kheda Anand district now stand reversed. For, despite a split in the Congress camp, the Bharatiya Janata Party-backed panel failed to win even one seat, thanks to its apparent disinterest. One candidate of Ishwarsinh Chawda panel also of Congress could make it.

About 98 per cent votes were cast in the May 24 elections, even as the election saw much anxiety in both the camps, which were led by Parmar, a State minister in former Congress government and Chawda, a former Member of Parliament of Congress and father-in-law of former External Affairs Minister Madhavsinh Solanki.

Despite two Congress veterans trying to divide each other8217;s votes, the BJP failed to take mileage, and even it8217;s panel leader, former MP and former chairman of Amul, Prabhatsinh Chauhan was defeated.

Meanwhile, according to political observers here, the results could also influence the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls even as a corrective measure is also likely against the BJP workers who had been entrusted with the task of garnering support for the Chavda panel and had failed.The elected members are Dilip Thakor, Gordhan Patel, Bhikhiben Patel, Ramesh Patel, Rayjibhai, Vinubhai Nathabhai, Saryuben, Kalidas, Ramsinh Parmar, Shivabhai, Pravinsinh all from Congress8217; Ramsinh Parmar panel, and Malsinh Rathod from Chawda panel.