Surat: The BJP-backed panel retained control of Sumul Dairy’s board of directors, winning 15 of the 16 seats in the election and extending its dominance over one of the state’s largest milk cooperatives as it enters its 75th year.The BJP had virtually secured the board even before polling, with seven of its candidates elected unopposed during the nomination process. The remaining results further consolidated its position, giving the panel a comfortable 15-1 victory.The only setback for the BJP-backed panel came in Mahuva, where its candidate, Jigar Nayak, lost to independent candidate Dhananjay Patel, who was backed by Mansingh Patel following a dispute over ticket distribution.Congress-backed candidates failed to win any seat despite close contests in a few constituencies. In Nizar, Congress-supported Bharat Sudam Patel lost by a single vote, while in Vyara, Siddharth Chaudhary was defeated by two votes.Polling was held for the remaining nine seats after seven candidates were elected unopposed. In Songadh, BJP-backed Kanti Gamit registered the biggest victory, defeating his rival by 125 votes after securing 139 votes.Three constituencies witnessed nail-biting finishes. In Vyara, the winning candidate secured 45 votes against 44. In Nizar, the margin was 26-25, while in Kukarmunda, the result was decided by a 19-18 vote. Election officials said no vote was declared invalid during the entire polling process.Of the nine seats that went to polls, BJP-backed candidates won eight, reaffirming the party’s strong hold over the cooperative sector in south Gujarat.
