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Patidar Agitation: Maharally tomorrow in Ahmedabad

Patidar Aandolan Gujarat (Photo Credit Youtube)
Patidar Aandolan Gujarat (Photo Credit Youtube)

By   Abdul hafiz Lakhani    Ahmedabad

The battle lines are drawn. Gujarat CM Anandiben patel clearly told that there would not be reservation for patidars, On the other hand Patel  community’s Maharally will be held tomorrow in Ahmedabad, which will decide the political future and dynamics of BJP government. About more than 5 lakh people are excepted to join in this mega event–the show of strength of this community.Meanwhile, according to reliable sources that A buzz that has been doing the rounds since the issue of Patidar reservation came into prominence, is that the community’s demand is an underhand way of doing away with reservation completely. The leaders of the Other Backward Community (OBC) have reiterated their fear regarding the same issue. the reservation on economic parameters may be in offing.

“It is this Patidar community that made ministers, elected the Chief minister and ensured victory for the BJP in all 26 Lok Sabha seats. But if you hurt this community, the government will collapse the way a chair collapses if two of its legs are pulled out from under it,” the young leader hardik  patel thundered on phone with correspondent

Virtually unknown two months ago, Hardik is causing the state government much concern. Attempts at talks with the protesting Patels, seen as a BJP votebank, have not yielded results. Hardik Patel, whose father is a BJP leader, says his Patidar Anamat Sangathan, which has now assumed a critical role in the ongoing agitation, owes allegiance to no political party.he said they expect a response from the state government on August 25. “Ours is a non-violent movement. But, if need be there, each Patel can become an Anna Hazare or a Bhagat Singh. What will be our next move, will be decided on whether the government takes heed of our demands on August 25,” said Gaurang Patel president of Gandhinagar SPG. He said, Patidars were ready to take the agitation to all-India level too.

While it is unlikely that the Patidars will dump the BJP, the civic body polls later this year could have a bearing on Anandiben’s options. The repeated instances of influential caste groups arm-twisting state governments through street protests or state governments playing the game of votebank politics to mollify influential communities has severely dented the credibility of reservation policies,according to activist Dr.J.S, bandukwala.

There is little basis for the Patel community’s sudden demand. They are prosperous, hold powerful positions both in the government and private sectors, have family members settled overseas and dominate the agriculture and co-operative sector. It is still not clear if BJP’s internal politics is at play. There is definitely something more than what meets the eye,” said Achyut Yagnik, a political observer.

Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said the party was not supporting the Patel community’s demand. “Patels who are the backbone of the development model of Gujarat which the BJP is projecting are today asking for reservation. They held a dominant position in various industries be it pharma, diamond or textile. It means something is not right with BJP’s development model. For about 20 years BJP is ruling Gujarat and Patels form their major vote bank. It is for the BJP to come up with an explanation as to what went wrong,” he said.

Former Gujarat chief minister Madhavsinh Solanki swept the state assembly elections in 1985 with his Kshatriya Harijan Adivasi Muslim (KHAM) combination in 1985 side-lining the Patel community. Following this, the Patels became a strong base for the BJP.While Patel leaders claim that they form about 25% of the voters in Gujarat, Yagnik says they constitute about 14%. The Patidar community comprises Lehuva, Kadva and Anjana Patels.The Anjana Patels who form a very small part of the Patel community and reside mainly in north Gujarat fall in the reservation category, said Yagnik.

Another BJP member said that many in the party were not happy about the way senior Patel leaders were side-lined after Anandiben Patel was handed over the reins of Gujarat in 2014 by Modi.

In 2012, former chief minister Keshubhai Patel left BJP to form a new outfit called Gujarat Parivartan Party ahead of the assembly elections. He is credited with building the BJP’s Patel vote bank in Gujarat. However, the newly formed party managed to bag only three out of the 182 assembly seats. Later, he ironed out differences with BJP leaders and re-joined the party.

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