Jayesh Radadiya Group Dominates Rajkot Lodhika Polls as BJP Mandate Crumbles Across Three Seats

The Jayesh Radadiya faction has established absolute dominance in the Rajkot Lodhika Purchase and Sale Association elections, routing rival BJP leaders and defying party whips to win three out of five contested seats in Asia’s largest cooperative body.

A fierce battle for political supremacy saw the group led by veteran leader Jayesh Radadiya clash directly with the faction headed by Prashant Korat. Despite intense lobbying extending from the party organisation in Gandhinagar to the high command in Delhi, regional damage-control efforts failed entirely, exposing severe cracks in party discipline.

Ten of the 15 seats in the association had already gone uncontested. The struggle concentrated on the remaining five seats, where the BJP state leadership had officially declared authorized candidates and issued a binding party whip to all voting members. 

Breakdown of the Contested Seats

• Madhapar Seat: Rebel candidate Vijay Sakhia defeated the official BJP nominee, Prithvi Singh Jadeja (Ghoghubha). Sakhia had notably sought police protection at his own expense ahead of the voting.
• Kuwadwa Seat: Rebel candidate Nitin Chowatia contested against the party whip and defeated former minister Arvind Raiyani.
• Tramba Seat: Following a tightly contested count that ended in a tie, Nitin Ramani was declared the winner through a draw of lots.
• Halenda Seat: Official BJP candidate Mahesh Asodaria managed to withstand the rebel push and retain his seat.
• Khokhraddad Seat: Babu Naseet, believed to be from the anti-Radadiya camp, secured victory despite the absence of one voter.

Deepening Fracture in Party Discipline

The defeat of official mandates on three seats demonstrates that the regional leadership's authority was openly disregarded in the tussle for local dominance. The outcome confirms that the tone of rebellion within the regional cooperative sector has intensified, with key figures prioritizing personal political strongholds over official party directives.

History Repeats After IFFCO Showdown

This is not the first instance where Radadiya has successfully challenged the party establishment. During the election for Director of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), the BJP organisation had informally indicated support for an alternative candidate.

Radadiya disregarded party instructions, mobilized cooperative delegates across Saurashtra and Gujarat, and entered the fray independently. He achieved a landslide victory over the candidate backed by the party organisation, proving his personal grip on the Saurashtra cooperative network remains stronger than official party whips.