The Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel on Wednesday announced that the Patidars are satisfied with the reservation formula given by the Congress. He said that he has time and again pledged that he is working to defeat the BJP in Gujarat, which means that directly or indirectly, he is supporting the Congress.
This announcement has undoubtedly boosted the confidence of the Congress, but even the BJP seem to still confident that it will win the polls by the three-fourths majority. The breaking of former allegiances and formation of new ones have almost become the norm in poll-bound Gujarat.
After the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti and the Congress came to the same page regarding the reservation agreement, the fight for Gujarat has intensified even more. Hardik Patel in a press conference on Wednesday had announced that “the new formula will not disturb the existing reservation structure under Articles 46, 31(C), 15 (4) and 16 (4) of the Indian Constitution.”
The Patidar leader also claimed that the constitution does not specify anywhere that the 50 percent cap cannot be breached and said that the Congress has promised to provide reservation to the Patidars under the special category, by introducing a new bill.
Soon after Hardik made the announcement, BJP was quick to respond back which more or less was somehow indicating the party’s anxiousness. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel commented that the PAAS were fools to accept the offer of Congress. While Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley passed a remark that the promises made by Congress to give reservation to the Patidars was nothing but a deception.
While Hardik claimed that the Patidars were satisfied with the reservation formula, the Khodaldham, and Umiyadham temple trusts which are the highest religious orders for the Patidars said that they were not consulted regarding the reservation. Hardik on Wednesday, during the press conference, had claimed that the temple trusts were consulted.
The two Patidar trusts have raised an objection that Hardik Patel did not consult him before finalizing the agreement with Congress over the reservation on the Patidars under the special category.
Meanwhile, in order to maintain harmony with the Patidars, Congress has even moved to the Election Commision regarding the release of a fake candidates’ list which went viral on Sunday, before the official list was released. Responding to the plea of the Congress the EC has asked the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner to submit its report within 24 hours.
Hardik had also announced on Wednesday that the Congress will include the reservation formula in detail in its election manifesto. On the other hand, Jan Vikalp Morcha the new party formed by former Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shankersinh Vaghela also released its manifesto. JVM’s manifesto promised 10 percent quota to the most backward classes within the 27 percent purview of the OBC reservation. It also grants unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 to class 12 pass outs, Rs 4,000 to graduates and Rs 4,500 to post graduates.
74 Jan Vikalp Morcha candidates will be contesting the elections in the first phase, but the party has not fielded any candidate against CM Vijay Rupani and Jitu Vaghani from the BJP, and Shaktisinh Gohil and Paresh Dhanani from the Congress.
The last date for the nomination for the first phase of the polls was 9 Dec, and as per the records, a total of 1,703 nominations have been filed, which means that on an average on every seat 19 candidates will be fighting. Of the total of 1,703 nominations, 788 are independent, with highest candidates coming from Surat. 53 Muslim candidates have also filed the nomination for the first phase.
Meanwhile, both BJP and Congress have objected to the nomination filed by Chotu Vasava’s son Mahesh Vasava from the Bhartiya Tribal Party for the Dediapada seat. The parties have objected that “Mahesh Vasava has been convicted by an Additional District Court in Ankaleshwar on a case dating back to 2009, wherein Mahesh was convicted of assaulting Congress leader Balu Vasava and was sentenced to three years simple imprisonment from 5 July 2016, therefore his candidature should not be accepted.”
Amid all the political changes going on in Gujarat, the Patidar agitation spearhead who is being considered as the game changer has been given a ‘Y’ category security. A senior official of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) said that “A contingent of armed CISF commandos will take charge of the new protected very soon. Patel will have about eight commandos with him, whenever he travels in Gujarat.”
The official informed that “There is a potential threat to his security and hence he needs an armed cover.”
Reviewing all the situation, and with the recent development of Hardik joining hands with Congress, it is getting very difficult to predict as to whether BJP will continue to reign in Gujarat or Congress will be successful in putting an end to the 22-year long political exile of the party.
The Gujarat assembly elections will be held in two phases on 9 and 14 Dec and the counting of the votes for both the phases will be done on 18 Dec.