Did BJP MLA Kaushik Vekariya contest housing co-op polls illegally?

BJP MLA Kaushik Vekariya, who was recently appointed as a director of the Gujarat State Cooperative Housing Finance Corporation Ltd, is facing allegations of having contested the election illegally. 

These accusations were raised by Leader of the Opposition, Amit Chavda, citing potential violations of cooperative society membership rules.

According to Chavda, individuals can only be members of a housing cooperative if they own property within the society and actively work toward its objectives. Vekariya, however, claimed membership in the Mangal Society, a housing cooperative in Batarwadi, Amreli, consisting of 14 homes. He reportedly became a member by paying a fee of ₹250.

The Opposition has challenged Vekariya’s membership, alleging that he falsely claimed to belong to the Mangal Society and submitted fake documents to secure his position. Concerns were also raised about possible irregularities in property transfers and whether the full stamp duty had been paid, leaving the Revenue Department’s Vigilance Team under scrutiny for their investigative efforts.

The Opposition is calling on the Registrar of Cooperative Societies to take legal action if any criminal offence is confirmed, underscoring the need to protect the interests of the cooperative society.

This controversy follows a similar case involving Shankar Dakshini, who was suspended as director after accusations of wrongdoing and a subsequent complaint to the then Registrar of Co-operatives, DP Desai.

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