Former Congress MLA Raghavji Patel’s defected to the BJP on Friday. (File)
Former Congress MLA Raghavji Patel’s decision to join BJP has shaken the power structure of local bodies in Jamnagar district, with several elected Congress members also defecting to the saffron party.
Besides Patel and his son Jayendra – incumbent vice-president of the Jamnagar district panchayat, the others who joined the BJP on Friday included Rasik Kodinariya, chairman of the executive committee of Jamnagar district panchayat, and Malti Bhalodiya, chief of the women and child welfare committee of Jamnagar district panchayat.
With the defections, Congress’s strength in the 24-member general board of the district panchayat has reduced to 14.
Moreover, five Congress members from Jamnagar taluka panchayat and four from Jodiya panchayat also defected to BJP, reducing the strength of the ruling party in these two talukas to 12 and eight, respectively.
“Along with me, sarpanchs of at least 65 villages in my constituency also joined the BJP. Now, the BJP will seize power in Jamnagar APMC, Dhrol APMC, Jamnagar taluka panchayat and Jodiya taluka panchayat,” said Patel, who represented Jamnagar (Rural) in the Assembly before resigning from the House in August.
Following the large-scale defections, Congress tired to put up a united face and brought the remaining 14 members of Jamnagar district panchayat to Ahmedabad, and paraded them before the mediapersons.
Congress claimed that it would retain the two taluka panchayats and district panchayat. “Raghavjibhai had claimed that he will effect change of power in number of taluka and district panchayats ruled by Congress in Saurasthra region. But, he has apparently failed. With support of an Independent, we shall continue to be in power in Jamnagar taluka. In Jodiya, Congress and BJP will have eight members each, but we are confident of winning a trust vote in case it is ordered. In Jamanagar district panchayat, we sit comfortable with 14 seats in the 24-member general board,” said Jasmat Patel, president of Jamnagar district unit of the Congress.
The 14 Congress members before the media in Ahmedabad vowed that they would help defeat Raghavji in the upcoming Assembly elections for “deceiving’’ the party. Congress leader from Jamnagar Dinesh Parmar said BJP resorted to the “politics of defection’’, as it felt that it would be defeated in Assembly polls.
