BJP tries to patch up differences

VADODARA: The widening schism between city BJP leaders over Gaurav Path project seems to have put the state BJP authorities in a state of worry.
The authorities have already begun damage control exercise by sending in state BJP general secretary Bharatsinh Parmar to meet the standing committee members along with mayor on Wednesday.
Sources said that 10 standing committee members met Parmar individually and presented their case before him."He was sent here for pacifying those who were protesting against the standing committee chairman and mayor. He understood the ground realities after we talked with him,"said a BJP councillor.
Sources added that the standing committee members had protested against mayor's decision of awarding a project on buildoperate-transfer (BOT) basis.
"We want the project to be undertaken under public-private participation system. No single contractor should earn hefty profits,"the councillor added.
The committee chaired by mayor Sunil Solanki had last week awarded the Gaurav Path project to an Ahmedabadbased company without giving any opportunity to three other firms that had shown interest in the project.
"The project has been awarded unconstitutionally to the firm and it should be cancelled,"a standing committee member said. Standing committee members Lalit Raj, Gopi Talati, Mukesh Dixit, Sadanand Desai and Radha Vazara were among those who met Parmar.
Parmar is expected to present their case to the higher BJP authorities. Several councillors also alleged that Solanki had joined hands with opposition Congress leader Chirag Zaveri for executing several projects. The administrative wing, meanwhile, has adopted a wait-and-watch approach.