Congress-backed candidates today won all the 13 seats on the board of Kheda District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd (KDCMPUL), popularly known as Amul Dairy. On the other hand, BJP once again failed open its account.
The victorious candidates backed by Congress include Ramsinh Parmar, a sitting Congress MLA from Thasra, Rajendrasinh Parmar, an MLA from Bhadran, Chandu Parmar from Khambhat, Mansinh Chauhan, Dhirubhai Chavda, Bhaiji Jhala from Kapadwanj, Pravinsinh Solanki from Mehmedabad, Ravji Patel from Petlad and Shivabhai Parmar from Anand and Madhu Parmar from Nadiad, Ghelabhai Jhala from Kathlal and Madhuben Parmar and Ranjit Patel from Sarsa.
Ramsinh Parmar has held the position of chairman of Kheda union for past three terms and he was also confident of getting elected as the chairman for the fourth consecutive term. A total 32 candidates, including those backed by BJP, were in fray for the seats on the board of Amul Dairy. As far as candidates supported by Congress are concerned, only two new faces were introduced this year, while remaining were already on the board of the union.
Out of the total 1,040 votes, 1034 votes were cast yesterday. BJP was trying hard to get representation on the board of Kheda union, which is considered to be Congress bastion. BJP's efforts could be gauged from the fact that many BJP ministers, both sitting and former, were found campaigning in Central Gujarat region prior to elections.
Even on the day of polling, political stalwarts from both Congress and BJP were in Anand. Some of them include Congress' minister of state for power Bharatsinh Solanki, Bhupendrasinh Chudasma and Kaushik Patel, formers ministers in BJP government in Gujarat.