Amit Shah’s group sidelined, Gujarat party workers create ruckus

Now showing! May be for the first time since Narendra Modi took over as chief minister about nine years ago, dissidence has raised head in the BJP. On Thursday, thousands of party workers created ruckus at the party’s state unit office in Khanpur, alleging that Amit Shah’s group had been completely sidelined in the process of ticket distribution to candidates for the next month’s AMC polls.

The party workers alleged that revenue minister Anandiben Patel and in-charge of city unit Kaushik Patel have allocated tickets to their loyalists. Significantly, Shah’s close aides such as Nolesh Patel from Ghatlodia, Hitesh Barot and Alka Modi from Thaltej, Devang Dani and Chetan Sanghavi from Bodakdev, Kamlesh Tripathi from Sarkhej, Kirit Brahmbhatt from Jodhpur, Jayanti Chaudhary from Chandlodia and Bipin Patel alias Bipin Gota have not been given ticket.

A large number of BJP workers from Ghatlodia, Naranpura, Sardar Patel Stadium, Juna Vadaj and Nava Vadaj wards came to the BJP office and raised their voices before the BJP leaders as well as the media. These wards come under the Sarkhej constituency from where Amit Shah is the MLA.

About a month back, DNA had reported that the political clout of Amit Shah was likely to take a nosedive in the wake of his arrest in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

“The BJP workers with AA (Amit Anilchandra) have been left out of list of possible candidates,” said Nolesh Patel.  “It seems that certain groups are working against Amit Shah and consider us as his workers and not BJP’s. However, they will not succeed in their intentions,” said Patel.  In addition to the dissent from Amit Shah’s group, the saffron party is also facing opposition from its workers in most of the wards. Surprisingly, there is no consensus about candidates in almost all the wards falling under chief minister Modi’s constituency, Maninagar.

In some wards, party workers have threatened to resign while others have made up their mind to remain passive during the elections. Some of the common concerns cited by these workers are inclusion of unknown faces, refusal to consider active and committed workers, inclusion of outsiders, and selection of reserved category candidates for general seats.

The supporters of incumbent candidates, who failed to get ticket, also reached the party office at Khanpur and made representations to the party leaders. Krishna Thakar, who recently joined the BJP, is likely to get a ticket for Saijpur-Bogha ward. The party’s decision has not gone down well with the party workers because of Thakar’s tainted image.  The party workers have written a letter to the party high command, including Modi, about
the same.  

Surprisingly, the BJP has selected a couple candidates who are working as contractors with AMC or AMTS. Party workers have opposed these candidates, citing possibility of corruption. They have also accused the leaders of giving ticket only to rich people.  "Some people are not party workers but have bought ticket," said a senior party worker from Mahavirnagar ward.  Sources in the BJP said that in certain areas such as Indrapuri, Vastral, Ramol-Hathijan and Mahavirnagar, ward-level office-bearers had tendered their resignations.

One of the former corpoators, Kantilal Ghiya from erstwhile Bagefirdosh ward, left the BJP and joined the Congress and is likely to get ticket, said sources.