BJP-backed candidates win key seats in Baroda Dairy Board elections

Vadodara: Key contests in the Baroda District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited (Baroda Dairy) board elections concluded on Wednesday, with results from four zones declared after a high voter turnout of nearly 98%.Polling was held in Vadodara taluka, Desar, Dabhoi and Pavijetpur between 9am and 3pm, with BJP-backed candidates securing key victories. Counting was taken up at 4pm.In the Vadodara taluka zone, Parthiv Patel defeated Hitesh Patel by a narrow margin of eight votes.The Desar taluka seat witnessed a closely fought contest, where Surpalsinh Parmar defeated sitting director Kuldeepsinh Raulji by six votes. Parmar is backed by BJP MLA Ketan Inamdar. Soon after the results were announced, Sandip Inamdar, brother of the Savli MLA, reached the dairy premises to congratulate him. Parmar later said he would work under the MLA's guidance.In the Dabhoi block, Dixit Patel defeated Prahlad Patel, securing 52 votes against 25. Prahlad Patel was backed by the Congress.In the Pavijetpur block, sitting director Ranjitsinh Rathwa retained his seat by defeating Gemal Rathwa by 11 votes.Of the dairy union's 13 zones, elections were held only in zones 3, 6, 8 and 12, while candidates in the remaining nine zones were elected unopposed.Among those elected unopposed were incumbent chairman Dinesh Patel alias Dinu Mama and vice-chairman G B Solanki. Overall, nine sitting directors returned to the board.Several political figures took part in the process, including Dabhoi MLA Shailesh Mehta alias Sotta, who was present as a voter.Supporters celebrated the victories with firecrackers as the results were declared. With the board elections now over, focus has shifted to the selection of the next chairman and vice-chairman of Baroda Dairy, which has an annual turnover of around Rs 1,400 crore.