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It's the hand that rocks BJP's cradle in Gujarat

The BJP might be in power in Gujarat but almost one-third of its Cabinet members are former Congressmen. With the induction of Congress turncoat Jawahar Chavda in the Cabinet on Saturday, the Congress is ruling the roost. The four-time MLA, representing Manavadar seat in Junagadh, was rewarded with a ministerial berth a day after he joined the BJP while another turncoat Dharmendra Jadeja was made the junior minister.



The BJP, which prides itself on being a cadre-based party, sees no problems in poaching leaders from the Congress. The last time Chief Minister Vijay Rupani expanded his cabinet in July 2018, he had inducted OBC Koli leader Kunvarji Bavaliya, the same day that the Jasdan MLA quit the Congress, and gave him three portfolios: water supply, animal husbandry and rural housing. The third minister is Jayesh Radadiya who joined the BJP in 2012 and holds the portfolios of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Cottage Industries. As general elections near, the BJP demand for a ‘Congressmukt Bharat’, which has been
repeatedly vocalised by party president Amit Shah, seems to have morphed into a 'Congress-yukt BJP'. While this is noticeable in other states, it is most evident in Gujarat which is the home state of both Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Saturday, Governor O P Kohli Saturday also administered the oath of office to Jamnagar North MLA Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, who crossed over from Congress to BJP ahead of 2017 Assembly polls. Jaydrathsinh Parmar, MLA from Halol, is another state-level minister who was a former Congressman.

Wake-up call

In 2014 general election, BJP retained all 26 seats -- a crucial part of 282 Lok Sabha seats. The loss of even one stop in their home state is unimaginable for BJP leaders who are pulling out every stop to come up trumps in this election.

The BJP knows that the 2019 election is a different ball game especially with the party fending of defeat by just 7 seats in the 2017 Assembly election. While it got 77 seats, the Congress made a comeback by managing 77 seats, a huge improvisation on its tally of 61 seats in 2012.

The wake-up call has forced the party to look into the Congress camp for legislators and formers MPs who can withstand a BJP wave, and poach them by any means.

This means former Congressmen in the BJP are enjoying greater power than more experienced BJP MLAs who have been in power for three to seven terms.

Dissonance in party

And this has caused major grumbling among loyal, long-standing members of the saffron party. A senior leader in the BJP, refusing to be named, said, "People will laugh at us. Just look at the irony that those who have served the party loyally have been turned into 'santris' (guard) while Congressmen have come in and become 'mantris' (ministers)."

Another leader, also seeking anonymity, said, "On Saturday, a three-time MLA from the Congress came in to our party and took an oath as Cabinet minister while our seven-term MLA from Vadodara Yogesh Patel have to be satisfied with the post of state-level minister?"

On Saturday, the Rupani cabinet was expanded to 24 members, with 11 Cabinet and 13 State-level ministers. However, Mirror analysis revealed that former Congress leaders enjoyed a higher stake in the power corridor.

Jetpur MLA Jayesh Radadiya and his father joined the BJP in 2012. While Radadiya was inducted as Cabinet minister, his father became a Member of Parliament from Porbandar.

Other Congress deserters got plum postings as reward for their defection. Former Thasara MLA Ramsinh Parmar joined the saffron party before 2017 Assembly polls. He was unanimously elected as the chairman of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (GCMMF), the marketing body of the 'Amul' brand of milk and other dairy products in January 2018.

Former Congress chief whip Balvantsinh Rajput, who joined the BJP in 2017, was made chairman of Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) which is considered a very influential post.Jivabhai Patel, who joined the BJP in September 2018, was made chairman of Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) while Narhari Amin, also a former Congress leader, is the vice-chairman of the State Planning Commission.

'BJP getting desperate'

Meanwhile, the Congress claims that the BJP no longer trusts its own leaders. "So, it is poaching those from the Congress," said Congress state unit chief Amit Chavda on Saturday.

"The BJP is staring at defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. It does not trust on its own workers and lacks capable leadership. This is the reason why the BJP is getting Congress leaders to join it using greed and threats," he said, adding, "BJP workers spend their entire life for the party but get no value within it. Just to win polls, the BJP takes away winning Congress candidates and making them ministers".

Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani said, "BJP leadership is weakening with every passing day. The government, formed with 127 seats in 1995, was at nervous 90-odd seats in 2017. So, they are trying to weaken the opposition by poaching some leaders. However, the trust of the voters is with Congress."

What BJP veteran MLAs say??
There are 18 BJP MLAs who won the Assembly polls more than three times but did not get a berth in the Cabinet. Most of them have uniformly hailed the party for inducting Congress leaders. In their official statement, they claimed the move will strengthen the party and help them retain all 26 seats. However, a couple of them – without wanting to be named – said, “Wait and Watch. The same thing happened prior to 2017 Assembly polls.

Yet, the party got less than 100 seats.”

WHAT THEY OFFICIALLY SAID:

What the decision taken by the party would be proper. I have no objection if the party becomes stronger
Keshu Nakarani, six-time MLA from Gariadhar

Iam very happy and party has took the decision after due deliberation. Party will win all 26 Loksabha seats
Madhu Srivastav, six-time MLA from Waghodia

It is the great work that they have been aligned with the BJP ideology and the party will definitely become stronger
Rakesh Shah, three-time MLA from Ellisbridge


I have worked for the party for past 40 years and I welcome this decision. Our ultimate goal is to win all 26 LS seats. I never demanded ministership
Babu Patel, four-time MLA from Daskroi

I have never been in the race or interested in the ministership. I would like to work in my constituency
Pabubha Manek, seven-time MLA from Dwark.

What the party has done is right. Our target is to win all 26 Parliament seats. Our leaders have taken the decision after due deliberation
Rushikesh Patel, three-time MLA from Visnagar



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