Amid cross voting, Cong gets chairman, VC re-elected

VADODARA: Amid cross voting, Congress leaders Narendra Patel alias Mukhi and Ajitsinh Thakore made it as chairman and vice-chairman of Baroda Dairy for a second term of one year. Elections to the two top posts of the district dairy union were held on Tuesday.
Though there are 11 Congress-backed directors in the dairy's board of 19 directors with voting powers, both Mukhi and Thakore survived by a whisker as they managed 10 votes each in their favour, while nine votes went against them.
Although upbeat about their victory, the results have brought to the fore infighting within the Congress as the results clearly indicate that one Congressman has voted against the official candidates of the party.
The results triggered a fresh round of controversy within the Congress as senior Congress leaders are now trying to find out the director who crossed over. Talks of horse trading also cropped up in the dairy union where results would have changed fortunes if the rival camp would have managed another Congressman in their favour. Results also hint that the rival camp can topple the Congress-ruled board any time, if the party fails to keep its flock intact.
On Tuesday, elections for the two top posts were held in presence of deputy collector Harsh Yadav, who was appointed as election officer by district collector. Nineteen directors, including 15 elected directors, three government nominees and district co-operative registrar participated in the voting process after which the results were announced. Congress enjoys majority as 11 of its candidates had got elected in the last elections when only two directors each from BJP and independents have made it to the board.