Shankar Chaudhary for panchayat polls?

There is trouble brewing in the BJP bigwig and former minister Shankar Chaudhary's camp as the leader, who has been eyeing party's top post in the state after losing in the recent Assembly polls, is being persuaded to contest in the Banaskantha District Panchayat poll.

While sources close to the leader are calling it party chief Amit Shah's designs to cut to size a leader who enjoys much clout among OBC communities, the man himself is unhappy with the future plan that the party has drawn out for him, as the post of a panchayat president is much lower in rank as compared to the ministerial post he had enjoyed in the previous Vijay Rupani government.

"Chaudhary's proximity to Anandiben Patel easily places him against the Amit Shah camp. Chaudhary has refused to contest the panchayat polls saying it doesn't befit his calibre, besides fears that he could be wiped out from the state political scene if he retires to a panchayat-level post," said a leader close to Chaudhary.

Meanwhile, party's senior leaders met on Saturday in a parliamentary board meeting to decide the candidates for the local body polls to be held on February 4 and unanimously proposed that Chaudhary should contest the polls.

Chaudhary, who was Minister of State for Urban Housing, Health and Environment in the previous government, lost to Congress's Geniben Thakor from the Vav seat in Banaskantha district. After the loss, Chaudhary had expressed his desire to work for the party organisation. There has been speculation that he could be made the party chief in the state after incumbent president Jitu Vaghani's term ends.

A senior leader from BJP's parliamentary board said on condition of anonymity, "We are trying hard to convince Chaudhary to contest the Banaskantha district panchayat polls, but he is not convinced yet. We have assured him he would be made the panchayat president who will enjoy many powers."

Chaudhary could not be reached for his comments on the issue.