Gujarat BJP internal rift: MP Vasava alleges corruption, MLA Deshmukh threatens defamation
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat BJP has once again come under the spotlight as a verbal duel has erupted between two of its members, Rajpipla MLA Dr Darshana Deshmukh and Bharuch MP Mansukh Vasava. On December 7, BJP MP Mansukh Vasava, during a press conference, alleged large-scale corruption in the political leadership and administrative system of Narmada district. While the charge was sweeping, Vasava did not name any individual. Dr Darshana Deshmukh, while addressing the media on Friday, accused the MP of indirectly linking her to Aam Aadmi Partys Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava, an insinuation she said had defamed her. He alleged corruption but did not name anyone, Deshmukh said. Instead, he hinted at a nexus between me and Chaitar Vasava. Because of this, my image has been damaged. If there is corruption, he should prove it. Otherwise, I will file a defamation case. If I have to go to court, I will definitely go. Pushing back harder, Deshmukh turned the allegation around. The MP says I have a nexus with Chaitar Vasava, but it is Mansukh Vasava who has a domestic relationship with him, she claimed, while firmly denying any link. The MLA also revealed that she had initially planned a dharna against the MP, a move that would have escalated the crisis further, but said the protest was called off after instructions from the state BJP, hinting at damage control efforts by the partys top brass. Yet, the political resentment ran deeper. He does not even accept me as an MLA, Deshmukh alleged. Ever since I became an MLA, he has been accusing me. Asserting her party lineage, she added, I am also the daughter of the BJP. As a senior MP, he should not talk about me like this. Drawing a contrast, she said anonymous letters are routinely ignored. We throw them in the dustbin; we dont comment on them. I have made a presentation at the state level. Now I will not remain silent. If Mansukh Vasava says anything, I will answer. The counterattack came swiftly. After Deshmukhs press conference, MP Mansukh Vasava addressed reporters at the Circuit House in Bharuch On Saturday, directly hitting back at both Dr Darshana Deshmukh and Chaitar Vasava. Recounting events during the Ekta Parade at Kevadiya Colony, held in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit, the MP alleged political pressure at the highest level. During a meeting on the Prime Ministers programme, AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava pressured officials regarding expenses, Mansukh Vasava claimed. At that time, Dr Darshana Deshmukh remained completely silent. Escalating the charge, the MP alleged that an AAP leader demanded Rs 75 lakh from an official and spoke of suppressing the matter, a claim that prompted him, he said, to go public through his December 7 press conference in Narmada district. Turning his fire squarely on the BJP MLA, Vasava accused Deshmukh of self-inflicted political damage. By making allegations, she has shot herself in the foot, he said. Asserting his own clout, the MP added pointedly, I made him an MLA. If she had any grievance, she should have told me directly or raised it on the party forum, Vasava argued. Instead, she chose to make allegations in public. He went further, suggesting motive. Both of them are feeling some kind of fear. That is why allegations are being made against me. While names were omitted, his indirect reference to doctors linked to Chaitar Vasava was widely read as a jab at Dr Darshana Deshmukh setting off the chain reaction now engulfing the BJPs district unit. Adding fuel to the fire, AAPs Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava openly backed the BJP MLA, turning an internal BJP feud into a cross-party spectacle. Praising Deshmukh, he said, Darshana Ben, who was suppressed for three years, has shown the courage to wake up late and speak in front of the MP. That is commendable. His final remark cut sharply at the MPs authority: Mansukh Vasava dominates everyone. We have been tolerating him for years. With defamation threats looming, corruption allegations flying, and party discipline visibly strained, the Bharuch Narmada episode has become more than a personal clash it is now a test of how the BJP contains its internal wars before they spiral further into the public domain.
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