Thursday, November 22, 2012

GPP draws first blood, wins over nagarpalika

Kamlesh Pandya.DNA 
 
13 NCP councillors from Damnagar nagarpalika join  GPP in a public rally on Monday

DNA Correspondent l
Ahmedabad
The Keshubhai Patel-led Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) laid claim to its first breakthrough in the run up to the state elections in 2012 when 13 councillors from Damnagar nagarpalika belonging to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) joined his party in a public rally at Amreli on Monday.
The Damnagar nagarpalika has a total of 21 seats, of which 18 were with NCP so far. With the 13 councillors moving to the newly-formed party, GPP will have the first politically-elected autonomous body under it.
Apart from this, some leaders from the Congress as well as Bharitya Janta Party (BJP) also announced joining Keshubhai’s party during the rally.
“Most people who have joined us are former office bearers from the party, who oppose Modi’s style of functioning,” general secretary of GPP, Gordhan Zadaphia said after the rally.
New inductees to the GPP from the BJP include the former taluka panchayat president of Lathi, the former president of Amreli district and taluka, and the district’s organising secretary. From the Congress, former MLA from Rajula, Madhubhai Bhuva announced his joining the newly-formulated party.
Meanwhile, all the Rajkot district office bearers of Samjawadi Party (SP) also announced their joining the GPP. “We want to work with Keshubhai Patel as he promises a credible and transparent alternative. We would like to work with them,” unit president, Dipaksinh Jadeja said.
On Monday, Keshubhai Patel addressed a public rally at Amreli. He lambasted the Modi government for its inefficiency and insensitive approach towards the masses.
“The government is busy talking about MoUs being signed, corporate and Japanese investments. However, during his 12-year rule, the number of poor families in the state has gone up from 24 lakh to 39 lakh. The state is fast becoming a factory for producing an increasing number of poor people,” Patel said while addressing the rally.
“Huge crowds thronged the rally in the home constituency of state agriculture minister, Dilip Sanghani from the Modi-led government. This shows that people are demanding a change. The response from the crowd was good. Despite the incessant rains, nobody moved from the place and keenly listened to Patel during the rally,” Zadaphia informed.