Amreli, May 12 (IANS): Senior BJP leader and former cabinet minister Dileep Sanghani, who was re-elected as the Chairman of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO), said that he will not contest the elections again.

“I will adhere to what I have previously said. During the last Lok Sabha session, I said that I would not contest the elections again. Only chameleons change their colours. I am bound by my words and my conscience directs me to honour them,” he said.

His reappointment comes against the backdrop of internal discord within the party which was highlighted by Jayesh Radadiya, a BJP MLA, winning the Director's position against the party-endorsed candidate, Bharat Patel alias Bharat Gota.

The elections unfolded as a showdown within the BJP, reflecting internal rivalries.

Radadiya secured a victory with 114 out of 180 votes, defeating Bharat Gota, an ally of Home Minister Amit Shah.

On May 10, all 21 directors during an IFFCO board meeting unanimously supported and endorsed Sanghani as Chairman and Balwinder Singh as Vice Chairman.

Sanghani, from Amreli, has been involved with national and international farmers' organisations for over four decades, while Singh, from Uttar Pradesh, also has experience in the field of agriculture.

Sources said that the contentious elections could weaken the BJP's traditional control over cooperative nominations in sectors like fertilisers, sugar, and dairy, which have long been strongholds in Gujarat's cooperative landscape.