Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry president loses Veer Narmad South Gujarat University syndicate poll

SURAT: The loss of BJP supported Paresh Patel on the general seat in syndicate polls of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) has come as a big surprise. Patel, who is also the president of Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI), had recently won the senate election defeating Congress supported Hoshang Mirza.
The results for syndicate polls were announced on Wednesday.The polls this year witnessed highest voting with 123 senate members out of 130 casting their votes. Those who won on the general seats are Dr Dhanesh Vaidya, Sanjay Desai, Gaurang Vaidya, Shreedhar Nimavat and Amit Sindha.
Patel was one of the four panel members announced by BJP-affiliated groups at VNSGU. The divide between two groups of BJP resulted in his defeat. "Out of 123 votes that were cast, one vote was declared invalid due to corrections made on it. A total 122 votes were counted," scrutiny officer V D Naik said.
Out of these 122 votes, Dr Dhanesh Vaidya got 31, Sanjay Desai got 27, Gaurang Vaidya and Shreedhar Nimavat got 20 votes each, while Amit Sindha and Paresh Patel got 12 votes each. In the second round, Gaurang Vaidya and Nimavat scored 21 qualifying votes. Sindha earned more preferential votes than Patel in the third round.
In the teacher's category, Unmesh Pandya, who is a faculty at Kholvad College, defeated Ajay Naik of Vapi College. Pandya had contested the election with the support of Rashtriya Shaikshik Sangh, while Naik was supported by Adhyapak Mandal.
Out of total 14 votes cast for the seat, Pandya polled eight votes, while Naik got six.