In the face of having no way to influence results of the Nafed elections for the vice-chairmen, a resigned BJP at last has claimed that Dileep Sanghani was its candidate. The powerful duo of Chandra Pal and Bijender are indeed having the last laugh.
Talking to Indian Cooperative on the Nafed election, In-charge of BJP’s Cooperative Cell and one of the Vice presidents of the Party Shyam Jaju said” Deelip Sanghani was our candidate.” But was he not a candidate of the ruling panel too? quipped a cooperator with surprise.
On condition of anonymity one of the directors at NAFED said as BJP had no majority and as the ruling clique would not accept anybody other than go-getter Sanghani, he was owned up at the last moment as BJP candidate though all through Ashok Thakur had been waging a war against the duo.
The situation is much akin to choice of GH Amin as the Vice President of NCUI when a similar situation had cropped up during NCUI election last year. BJP could not call him one of his own while Chandra Pal and his team adjusted him in the name of placating the govt. A master stroke indeed!
In the case of the Nafed elections Shyam Jaju was not able to explain how Sanghani polled votes from the opposite camp. He preferred one liner to any solid argument “Deelipbhai was our candidate and we are happy that one of the two Vice-Chairmen elected belonged to us.”
Referring to a much later development when BJP knew it has lost the case Jaju had indeed asked all others including Ashok Thakur to withdraw from the fray. “Thakur could not do it as he reached late”, Jaju told Indian Cooperative. But Jaju was not able to clarify how he contested and bagged two votes.
A chastened Thakur echoed Shyam Jaju’s words and confirmed to Indian Cooperative that he indeed was directed to withdraw but he missed the deadline of withdrawal of nominations.
Shyam Jaju however failed to explain how some of the BJP directors abstained from voting if Sanghani was the official candidate. Readers would note that majority of BJP cooperators boycotted the polling in the reigning confusion. The BJP circle is badly confused, quipped a cooperator.
Caught between party loyalty and closeness with Chandra Pal and Bijender, Sanghani himself said he was not a party candidate as cooperative is above party lines. Sanghani seems caught as it were between a hard rock and a hard place.