Rajkot BJP leader quits party, hits out at ‘coterie’ of three

He blamed Nitin Bhardwaj, incumbent chairman of the RMC standing committee, Water Supply Minister Vijay Rupani and Dhansukh Bhanderi, chairman of Gujarat Municipal Finance Board, for his decision.

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“When I was the standing committee chairman, Rupani and Bhanderi asked me to tell contractors of Mukhyamantri Awaas Yojana projects to send money to our party office. They said in view of the impending 2014 Lok Sabha elections, party needed funds and suggested that I should demand one per cent of the total project cost for the party. The projects were worth Rs700 crore. But, I refused to oblige and wrote a letter to Modi, who was then chief minister of Gujarat,” said Zala, who was standing committee chairman from June 2013 to June 2014.

He also made public a hand-written letter he had sent to Modi in March 2015, detailing the incident when Rupani and Bhanderi asked him to seek party funds from contractors.

“Even today, every contractor meets standing committee chairman before his tender is selected and the chairman asks the contractor to send one per cent of project cost to party office,” Zala, who had served for three terms as general secretary of Rajkot city BJP unit further alleged.

When contacted, Rupani trashed Zala’s allegations and termed the latter’s claim a “humbug”. Rupani said: “If he wants to quit the party, we have no problem. But, when somebody leaves his party, he speaks against it and Rajbha (Zala) has done the same. All he has spoken is an attempt to smear mud. He should produce evidence if he is serious about his allegations. Without evidence, his allegations are baseless and humbug.”

Local BJP leaders, too, held a press conference two hours after Zala announced his resignation, and said his allegations were baseless. “All the party decisions are taken after consultation and consensus, and there is no question of a few individuals deciding all matters as BJP is a cadre-based party. His allegations that we demanded party funds are unfounded as BJP never demands party funds. Party expenses are met from Aajivan Sahyog Nidhi funds contributed by party workers and these funds are well accounted for,” Bhanderi said.

The GMFB chairman hit back saying Zala felt aggrieved. “He had come from Congress, and is on his way to rejoin it since his greed for power has not satiated while working with BJP. Therefore, he is making all sorts of allegations,” said Bhanderi.

Responding to the charge of seeking party funds from contractors, Bhardwaj said, “ I can assure you that his allegations are absolutely baseless.”

Besides Bhanderi and Bhardwaj, Rajkot Mayor Rakshabeb Boliya, deputy mayor Uday Kangad and top brass of city BJP unit, including its president Bhikha Vasoya and BJP MLA from Rajkot Rural constituency, Bhanu Babariya were present at the BJP press meet.

Zala (44), who was with BJP for the last 17 years had apparently fallen out of favour with local party leaders when he was chairman of the standing committee. Sources said he had refused to clear a number of projects given green signal by the coordination committee of the party. He had rebelled openly against the party by standing up throughout the RMC general board meeting in June after he was not given a chance to speak first.

On his future plan of action, Zala said leaders of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were in touch with him. “Congress MLA Indranil Rajyaguru telephoned me and said his party needed good people. I told him I shall think over it. AAP leaders are also in touch with me. I shall take decision after gauging public opinion,” he claimed.