Internal Power Struggles Rock BJP As Dairy Election in Gujarat Takes a Political Turn
As the Dudhdhara Dairy (Bharuch District Cooperative Milk Producers Ltd) gears up for its high-stakes election on September 19, political undercurrents within the ruling BJP have come to the fore. The contest, initially viewed as a routine cooperative vote, has evolved into a political showdown involving suspended leaders, factional power plays, and rival panels backed by heavyweight leaders.
In a rare move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suspended nine active members from Bharuch and Narmada districts for filing nominations in defiance of the party’s official panel, led by long-serving Dudhdhara Dairy Chairman Ghanshyam Patel.
With over 296 voting members spread across milk cooperative societies in Bharuch and Narmada, and an annual turnover of ₹800 crore, this dairy election holds significant economic and political weight.
🔹 BJP Cracks Down on Dissent
The state BJP leadership issued a formal suspension for those who went rogue. Notably, the list includes former Bharuch District Panchayat President Shantaben Patel and several prominent cooperative leaders like Hemantsinh Raj, Jagdish Patel, and Sunil Patel — all of whom have held influential roles in Dudhdhara’s management.
BJP district president Prakash Modi confirmed the action, stating it was taken due to a violation of party directives.
“We have suspended nine leaders for going against the party line. The decision came from the state leadership,” he said.
However, the suspended candidates claim they received no explicit order to withdraw their nominations and had filed their forms before the party mandate was officially issued.
“We have served the party loyally for over two decades. This abrupt action is disheartening,” said Sunil Patel of Narmada, expressing frustration over the leadership’s silence during the nomination phase.
🔹 Rival Factions Within the Party
This internal rift is underscored by the emergence of the ‘Vikas Sahkar Panel’, reportedly backed by Arunsinh Rana, BJP MLA from Vagra and Chairman of Bharuch District Cooperative Bank. While Rana is not contesting, sources say his panel of nine candidates has the tacit support of BJP MP Mansukh Patel as well, suggesting wider intra-party friction.
Interestingly, Ghanshyam Patel, who has held the chairman’s post for 17 consecutive years, is seeking re-election alongside 14 candidates aligned with the official party mandate.
The ongoing tensions mirror recent cooperative power struggles in Gujarat, including the IFFCO elections, where former state minister Jayesh Radadiya won despite contesting independently against the BJP’s official line.
With only 15 seats up for grabs and just one seat (Narmada’s Prakash Desai) going uncontested, the September 19 election could significantly reshape the political dynamics in one of Gujarat’s key dairy regions.