Vadodara : BJP Infighting Surfaces, Mayor in Resignation Showdown

Vadodara : In a dramatic showdown exposing internal rifts within the BJP leadership in Vadodara city, a battle for supremacy has emerged, unveiling a cold war fueled by claims of power and authority among city leaders.

The fissures erupted during a confidential party meeting on Thursday evening, where the Mayor and the Standing Committee, embroiled in animosity, signaled their intent to step down. City President Jagdish Shah accused both of disregarding his directives, sparking tensions that reached a boiling point.

Sources within the party revealed that the discord stemmed from Shah’s inquiry during a meeting convened to strategize Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s impending visit to Vadodara.

Shah queried why neither the city Mayor Pinky Soni nor Standing Committee Chairman Shital Mistry had called for a meeting of BJP councilors in preparation for the Chief Minister’s arrival.

The pointed questioning elicited a sharp response from Soni and Mistry, hinting at submitting their resignations to the Chief Minister, provoking Shah’s retort about feeling unheard and sidelined within the party and municipal corporation.

Adding fuel to the fire, BJP’s Vadodara City in-charge and State Vice President Gordhan Zadafia exacerbated tensions with a cryptic tweet, implying the perils of possessiveness and selfishness in leadership.

The underlying strife intensified further with claims that Deputy Mayor Chirag Barot, BJP VMC leader Manoj Patel, and Standing Committee members formed a coalition, aiming to dictate contracts sanctioned by the committee solely to their preferred associates.

This burgeoning clash between Soni and Mistry escalated as certain agendas, not approved by the coordination committee, were allegedly greenlit by the Standing Committee chairman under the guise of directives from the party’s higher echelons. Mistry remained resolute, advocating for approval only if endorsed by top leaders or serving the public interest of Vadodara.

As the power tussle escalates within the BJP’s Vadodara echelons, the looming resignations of the Mayor and Standing Committee members signal a brewing storm, exposing underlying power dynamics and differing visions within the party’s local governance.