Four directors of Amul Dairy joined BJP in presence of state BJP chief C R Paatil on Saturday at state party headquarters – Kamalam. Thus, Congress was reduced to a minority in the dairy.
The move has come just days ahead of the crucial elections of two top posts of Amul Dairy – that of chairman and vice-chairman. The elections for the two posts are scheduled on February 14.
Except Amul Dairy, BJP enjoys majority in all the 18 milk unions who are members of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, the apex body of all dairy unions that markets products under brand Amul.
The four directors who joined BJP on Saturday include Juvansinh Chauvan from Memdavad, Sita Parmar from Tarapur, Sharada Patel from Kapadvanj, Ghela Zala from Kathlal.
It was in 2020 that last elections for the 13 elected seats of the board of directors of Amul Dairy were held. While Ramsinh was elected uncontested, Ranjit Patel, representing lifetime member, had also got elected uncontested.
In the elections for the remaining 11 seats, Congress had won with majority by winning eight seats. Later, in October 2020, Ramsinh was elected as chairman but results of the election for the post of vice-chairman which saw a direct contest between Rajendrasinh Parmar and BJP backed Rajesh Pathak, were kept in abeyance due to legal issues.
It was only in September last year that decks were cleared for results after which Rajendrasinh Parmar was declared as vice-chairman as he garnered nine votes against six bagged by Pathak.
Last month Congress’s former Anand MLA Kanti Sodha Parmar, who is also a director in Amul Dairy’s board, too joined BJP. With four directors joining the BJP on Saturday, BJP’s total strength in the board has now reached ten while Rajendrasinh Parmar and Sanjay Patel from Matar are the lone voices of the Congress.
