The BJP faced a shock defeat in the Baroda dairy elections — its third consecutive in the co-operative dairy polls this year. Three-time Waghodia MLA Madhu Srivastava, who was the dairy chairman, also lost the elections. The Congress-backed panel has won 11 of the total 15 seats.

Earlier, the BJP had failed to make a dent in the Congress bastion in Amul Dairy in Kheda. It had also lost the polls for Madhur Dairy in Gandhinagar.

It was a divided Congress house till the last day of filing of nominations as two groups, one led by Ajitsinh Thakore and the other led by G B Solanki, took on each other. A record 99.63 polling per cent was registered with 1,088 of the total 1,092 registered voters casting their franchise amid tight security. According to dairy officials, this was probably the highest voting percentage held to elect the 15-member board at Baroda dairy.

The panel led by BJP legislator Madhu Srivastava could manage only two seats, while the independent candidates won two seats. The Congress-led panel had taken an early lead in 13 seats, however, the party could manage to win on 11 seats. Incumbent chairman Madhu Srivastava, who represented Waghodia at the board lost. Both Solanki and Jagdish Patel who were against Thakore won their respective seats.

Though there was no infighting reported from the BJP ranks, Srivastava said: “There were certain differences among the members of the panel. The voters didn’t support us which led to our defeat.”

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