BJP’s Cooperative Stronghold Faces Rebellion As Radadiya-Sanghani Formula Gains Ground In Gujarat

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) grip over Gujarat’s cooperative sector appears to be facing growing resistance, with local leaders repeatedly defying official party mandates in elections to dairies, agricultural produce market committees (APMCs), sugar factories and cooperative banks.

Despite directives issued by the party leadership from its state headquarters, Kamalam, in Gandhinagar, local factions have continued to field their own candidates and challenge the official panels. The trend has brought into focus the political approach of Saurashtra leaders Jayesh Radadiya and Dilip Sanghani, as personal influence and local networks increasingly take precedence over party instructions.

The resistance has also exposed the limitations of the BJP’s centralised candidate-selection strategy in cooperative institutions, where local equations, caste dynamics and farmers’ interests often play a decisive role.

Radadiya-Sanghani Formula Sets The Tone For Rebellion

The precedent for defying the party leadership was set by prominent Saurashtra cooperative leaders Jayesh Radadiya and Dilip Sanghani.

Although Radadiya is not currently part of the state Cabinet, he continues to wield influence among farmers in the region. By fielding candidates of his choice against the BJP’s official mandate and securing their victories, he has demonstrated that individual influence can outweigh the party’s authority in cooperative elections.

Other local BJP leaders have since adopted a similar approach, challenging official panels to protect their political influence within cooperative institutions.

Sabar Dairy Election Postponed Amid Internal Differences

A recent example of the growing factionalism emerged during the election process at Sabar Dairy in North Gujarat.

Senior BJP leaders reportedly made strenuous efforts to ensure the victory of their preferred candidates. However, local leaders refused to follow the directives issued by the state leadership.

The situation escalated to such an extent that the entire Sabar Dairy election had to be postponed, preventing a potential public embarrassment for the party.

The episode has highlighted the difficulty of enforcing party decisions in cooperative institutions, where local leaders often have established networks and influence among members.

Why BJP’s Mandate Is Losing Its Grip In Cooperatives

Political observers point out that the BJP's strategy of selecting candidates centrally, which is commonly followed in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, has not delivered the same results in the cooperative sector.

Elections to dairies, banks, APMCs and sugar factories are shaped by local relationships, caste equations, farmers’ concerns and long-standing political networks. These factors can carry greater weight than party ideology or official directives.

As a result, local leaders are increasingly willing to challenge the state leadership rather than surrender their influence within these institutions.

Instances Of BJP Leaders Defying Official Mandates

The resistance is not limited to Sabar Dairy. Several cooperative elections across Gujarat have witnessed local leaders and factions contesting against the BJP's officially designated candidates.

Some prominent instances include:

• Savli APMC: MLA Ketan Inamdar contested alongside his supporters without the BJP's official mandate and secured control of the APMC.
• Banaskantha: MLA Mavji Patel reportedly rebelled against the party's official directives.
• Idar APMC: Local leaders openly contested against the BJP's mandated panel.
• Gondal, Jetpur and Amreli: Local BJP leaders fielded their own candidates against the party's designated panels.
• Madhi, Chalthan and Bardoli sugar factories: Local members and directors in South Gujarat contested and won elections despite defying the BJP's official mandate.
• Dudhdhara Dairy, Bharuch: MLA Arunsinh Rana supported a rebel candidate against the party's directive.
• Sumul Dairy: Party directives were reportedly disregarded during the selection of the chairman and vice-chairman.
• Surat APMC: Rebel candidates contested the election in defiance of the BJP's official mandate.
• Banas Dairy: Former MPs and senior local leaders entered the electoral contest without the party's official backing.

With repeated instances of defiance across the state, the BJP leadership faces the challenge of maintaining organisational discipline in a sector where local power structures remain deeply entrenched.

The developments suggest that, in Gujarat's cooperative politics, party mandates alone may no longer be enough to determine who controls influential institutions.