BJP MLA blames Anand MP for defeat in Amul polls

Vadodara/ Anand: Ahead of by-polls to eight assembly seats, fissures emerged in Anand unit of BJP with Umreth MLA Govind Parmar on Sunday threatening to resign as legislator.
Parmar accused Anand’s BJP MP Mitesh Patel alias Bakabhai for his defeat in the recently concluded Amul Dairy’s polls wherein he contested against Congress’ Anand MLA Kanti Sodha Parmar.
Alleging that Patel indulged in caste politics, the BJP MLA said that he has made representation against the MP to the top party brass and the state government including chief minister Vijay Rupani and state BJP chief CR Paatil.
“There were 20 votes of Patels in Amul Dairy elections but Anand MP ensured that I don’t get them,” said Parmar, adding that even after the polls, his name was not considered as state government’s nominee to Amul Dairy’s board.
“I was not called for the sankalan samiti meeting in which names were discussed. In fact, he recommended name of one Bharat Patel from Kunjrav. Similarly, when names of candidates for Amul Dairy’s polls were being discussed, I was not taken into confidence,” he said.
He said that he has received a call from BJP chief whip Pankaj Desai to resolve the dispute. Parmar, however, insisted said that he is neither resigning from BJP nor joining any other party. Reacting to the allegations levelled against him, Patel said that neither he or BJP believes in caste-based or community-based politics. “These allegations are completely baseless. With regards to Amul Dairy’s polls, all of us had made efforts to ensure his victory but he got defeated by a couple of votes,” Patel told reporters.
Umreth MLA had bagged 37 out of 104 votes when he was contesting to represent Anand block in Amul Dairy’s board while his rival Kanti Sodha Parmar had bagged 41 votes on August 31.