After the defeat of three BJP legislators in the Baroda dairy elections, the party hopes for a face-saver in the Panchmahals-based Panchamrut Dairy elections scheduled for October 24.

In the Baroda dairy elections, three leaders, including Waghodia MLA and dairy chairman Madhu Srivastava, Vadodara rural MLA Upendrasinh Gohil and Padra MLA Dinesh Patel alias Dinu Mama, were among the losers. Now, the BJP is counting on Shehra strongman and MLA Jetha Bharwad.

In this election, apart from the Congress, the saffron party is facing tough fight from within.

Although the dairy chairman is ex-BJP MP Bhupendrasinh Solanki, who is known to have fallen out of favour with Chief Minister Narendra Modi and others, it is Bharwad who has been leading the party-supported panel. As Solanki has his own panel and will contest the elections, it could spoil the party’s prospects.

Bharwad has used his clout in the party to become its candidate for chairmanship.

He, however, has no experience of the dairy cooperative sector.

The suspended police constable-turned-businessman had won the Shehra Assembly constituency on a Samajwadi Party ticket in 1998. The BJP had then accused him of rigging the results. But a year later, he joined the saffron party.

On condition of anonymity, a BJP leader said: “The party is of the view that the milk farmers are not interested in the candidate’s party as such. They vote for the candidates who are one of them. They vote for those who can think from their point of view in deciding the procurement price of milk, and support them in getting fodder and medicine for their cattle.”