With city unit BJP president Bhupendra Lakhawala being made a minister, several party workers have seized the opportunity to demand that Lakhawala be made the minister in charge of the district instead of ``the inaccessible Jaspal Singh''. Lakhawala denied he knew of the demand, but state BJP president Rajendrasinh Rana said that party had indeed received a representation that Lakhawala be made the minister in charge of the district. ``But it's not a serious matter. We will sit with party members in Vadodara and sort it out,'' he said.

But a senior party office-bearers in Vadodara said ``a majority of party workers'' did not want Singh in charge of the district. He said the demand would continue till it was actually met.

The sentiment was openly expressed at a meeting of party workers at a farmhouse in Sama last week. They told state BJP general secretary Sanjay Joshi that Singh did not ``get the work of partymen done'' and that he never consulted anyone before allocation of quotas he was in entitled to clear.

While highly placed party sources in Gandhinagar said the issue about Singh not listening to party workers was also taken up in a recent party executive committee meeting, Rana denies it was discussed. However, representations against Singh are not new. Even before allocation of tickets for Assembly elections, a section of councillors and a host of party workers from Singh's Sayajiganj constituency had demanded that he should not be given the ticket. Sources say the party renominated him to ensure the seat.

And as for the demand to make Lakhawala the minister in charge of the district, it isn't surprising. In sharp contrast to Singh, Lakhawala keeps everyone in good humour and remains in constant touch with the rank and file.

And unlike Singh (and Raopura MLA Yogesh Patel), Lakhawala toes the party line, never questions decisions of leaders, never dissents. Patel hasn't been made a minister though he has been hankering for a berth, but an attempt has been made to appease by the chairmanship of the Gujarat Agro-Industries Corporation.