Gujarat: Clinching Viramgam seat in ballot debut is not any cakewalk for Patidar face Hardik Patel
9 min readBy PTI
VIRAMGAM: The ruling BJP in Gujarat has fielded newly-inducted younger Patidar chief Hardik Patel to grab from the Congress the Viramgam Assembly seat that had thrown up a shock within the final election and is taken into account resistant to caste politics as leaders from totally different castes and religions, together with a minority group, have represented it to this point.
For the 29-year-old Patel, a local of Chandranagar village of Viramgam taluka of Ahmedabad who was born and introduced up in Viramgam city, it’s his maiden Assembly election.
He will lock horns with sitting Congress MLA Lakhabhai Bharwad, who defeated Bharatiya Janata Party’s Tejashree Patel in 2017 by a margin of over 6,500 votes.
Viramgam Assembly phase, which contains Viramgam, Mandal and Detroj talukas of Ahmedabad, has been with the Congress for the final 10 years. This and 92 different seats will go to polls within the second section on December 5.
Interestingly, within the 2012 Assembly polls, Tejashree Patel had contested as a Congress candidate and defeated BJP’s Pragji Patel by a margin of greater than 16,000 votes.
During her tenure because the Congress MLA, she left her mark as a fierce critic of the ruling BJP, each inside and out of doors the Assembly.
However, to everybody’s shock, when she switched sides and fought on the BJP ticket in 2017, voters rejected her and selected Congress’ Lakhabhai Bharwad, who belonged to the Other Backward Class (OBC).
While some voters really feel that Bharwad is dealing with anti-incumbency now, some others say he has been energetic as an MLA and labored onerous to resolve the native points, and therefore defeating him wouldn’t be straightforward for Hardik.
Viramgam contains practically 3 lakh voters, together with 65,000 Thakor (OBC) voters, 50,000 Patidars or Patel voters, practically 35,000 Dalits, 20,000 Bharwad and Rabari group voters, 20,000 Muslims, 18,000 Koli members and 10,000 Karadia (OBC) Rajputs.
However, this seat has to this point given MLAs from totally different castes, together with Tejashree Patel (Patidar), Daudbhai Patel (Muslim) in 1980, Kamabhai Rathod (Karadia Rajput) in 2007 and Lakhabhai Bharwad (OBC).
“People of Viramgam never vote on caste lines. That is the reason why candidates from different castes have won over the decades. Voters of this seat only see performance and commitment towards people and the party. I am confident of retaining this seat,” mentioned Bharwad when requested if Hardik’s nomination might create hassle for him this time.
Bharwad is counting on his previous efficiency and the work executed for the individuals or at the least elevating the problems within the Assembly in addition to on the native stage to get an answer.
Both Viramgam Municipality and Taluka Panchayat are with the BJP.
“Earlier, the condition of roads in the constituency was bad as they were not resurfaced for seven years. But due to my consistent efforts, they have resurfaced. However, the people of Viramgam town are suffering because the BJP is ruling the municipality. People are aware of who is at fault and who did their work,” Bharwad mentioned.
Some locals additionally endorsed Bharwad’s claims in regards to the work he had executed as far as an MLA.
“There is no doubt that Patel is more popular. But it is also a fact that Bharwad was active as an MLA and worked hard to resolve our issues, be it bad roads or overflowing gutters. We have seen him on the ground. Though he was not able to solve all the issues, people know that he had tried,” mentioned auto driver Kantilal Parmar.
Another voter claimed that Hardik’s possibilities of successful had elevated with the renomination of Bharwad.
“Bharwad is facing anti-incumbency. Looking at the caste equations, Congress should have fielded someone from Thakor community. Now, Hardik’s chances have gone up with Bharwad’s renomination,” he mentioned.
The Aam Aadmi Party can be within the fray, which initially gave a ticket to at least one Kunvarji Thakor, earlier than all of the sudden changing him with Amarsinh Thakor.
Kunvarji was sad with the event and determined to combat as an impartial. In 2017, he contested as an impartial and secured fourth place with 10,800 votes.
One Kirit Rathod, a recognized Dalit activist from Viramgam, can be within the fray as an impartial.
Many consider that this trio, if they continue to be within the fray, can disrupt the voting equations and provides surprising outcomes. The final date to withdraw nomination is November 21.
Hardik, who rose to prominence after main the Patidar reservation agitation in search of OBC standing for the Patidar caste, joined the BJP in June after being with the Congress for practically two years.
He is now touring villages of the area.
In the “list of promises” issued by him, the primary one says he’ll make it possible for Viramgam will get the standing of a district and rural persons are already thanking Patel for taking over this concern.
“Viramgam is big enough to be declared as a separate district. People have been demanding it for some time. This will resolve many of our problems because we have to travel all the way to Ahmedabad for various works related to the collector’s office or for court-related matters. Hardik has rightly taken up the issue,” mentioned Amrat Patel, a neighborhood farmer.
Other key guarantees embrace constructing a contemporary sports activities advanced, faculties, 50-bed hospitals every in Mandal taluka, Detroj taluka and close to Nal Sarovar, 1,000 authorities homes in Viramgam city, industrial property, and gardens, amongst others.
Notably, the four-page leaflet of guarantees doesn’t discover any point out of the phrase “Patidar” in it.
In his quick bio, it’s talked about that he was born in a “Hindu family” in Gujarat and his late father Bharatbhai was an energetic BJP employee on this area.
Hinting on the EWS (economically weaker sections) quota launched in Gujarat after his agitation for reservation, the leaflet says Hardik’s “historic agitation” was instrumental in offering many advantages to not only one however a number of communities.
“Our campaign is going very strong and people are showering their blessings on Hardik. People are not happy with Congress MLA and they want a change this time. We are confident that people of Viramgam seat will vote for Hardik and once again bring BJP to power in the state,” mentioned Hardik’s marketing campaign supervisor Dipak Patel.
VIRAMGAM: The ruling BJP in Gujarat has fielded newly-inducted younger Patidar chief Hardik Patel to grab from the Congress the Viramgam Assembly seat that had thrown up a shock within the final election and is taken into account resistant to caste politics as leaders from totally different castes and religions, together with a minority group, have represented it to this point.
For the 29-year-old Patel, a local of Chandranagar village of Viramgam taluka of Ahmedabad who was born and introduced up in Viramgam city, it’s his maiden Assembly election.
He will lock horns with sitting Congress MLA Lakhabhai Bharwad, who defeated Bharatiya Janata Party’s Tejashree Patel in 2017 by a margin of over 6,500 votes.
Viramgam Assembly phase, which contains Viramgam, Mandal and Detroj talukas of Ahmedabad, has been with the Congress for the final 10 years. This and 92 different seats will go to polls within the second section on December 5.
Interestingly, within the 2012 Assembly polls, Tejashree Patel had contested as a Congress candidate and defeated BJP’s Pragji Patel by a margin of greater than 16,000 votes.
During her tenure because the Congress MLA, she left her mark as a fierce critic of the ruling BJP, each inside and out of doors the Assembly.
However, to everybody’s shock, when she switched sides and fought on the BJP ticket in 2017, voters rejected her and selected Congress’ Lakhabhai Bharwad, who belonged to the Other Backward Class (OBC).
While some voters really feel that Bharwad is dealing with anti-incumbency now, some others say he has been energetic as an MLA and labored onerous to resolve the native points, and therefore defeating him wouldn’t be straightforward for Hardik.
Viramgam contains practically 3 lakh voters, together with 65,000 Thakor (OBC) voters, 50,000 Patidars or Patel voters, practically 35,000 Dalits, 20,000 Bharwad and Rabari group voters, 20,000 Muslims, 18,000 Koli members and 10,000 Karadia (OBC) Rajputs.
However, this seat has to this point given MLAs from totally different castes, together with Tejashree Patel (Patidar), Daudbhai Patel (Muslim) in 1980, Kamabhai Rathod (Karadia Rajput) in 2007 and Lakhabhai Bharwad (OBC).
“People of Viramgam never vote on caste lines. That is the reason why candidates from different castes have won over the decades. Voters of this seat only see performance and commitment towards people and the party. I am confident of retaining this seat,” mentioned Bharwad when requested if Hardik’s nomination might create hassle for him this time.
Bharwad is counting on his previous efficiency and the work executed for the individuals or at the least elevating the problems within the Assembly in addition to on the native stage to get an answer.
Both Viramgam Municipality and Taluka Panchayat are with the BJP.
“Earlier, the condition of roads in the constituency was bad as they were not resurfaced for seven years. But due to my consistent efforts, they have resurfaced. However, the people of Viramgam town are suffering because the BJP is ruling the municipality. People are aware of who is at fault and who did their work,” Bharwad mentioned.
Some locals additionally endorsed Bharwad’s claims in regards to the work he had executed as far as an MLA.
“There is no doubt that Patel is more popular. But it is also a fact that Bharwad was active as an MLA and worked hard to resolve our issues, be it bad roads or overflowing gutters. We have seen him on the ground. Though he was not able to solve all the issues, people know that he had tried,” mentioned auto driver Kantilal Parmar.
Another voter claimed that Hardik’s possibilities of successful had elevated with the renomination of Bharwad.
“Bharwad is facing anti-incumbency. Looking at the caste equations, Congress should have fielded someone from Thakor community. Now, Hardik’s chances have gone up with Bharwad’s renomination,” he mentioned.
The Aam Aadmi Party can be within the fray, which initially gave a ticket to at least one Kunvarji Thakor, earlier than all of the sudden changing him with Amarsinh Thakor.
Kunvarji was sad with the event and determined to combat as an impartial. In 2017, he contested as an impartial and secured fourth place with 10,800 votes.
One Kirit Rathod, a recognized Dalit activist from Viramgam, can be within the fray as an impartial.
Many consider that this trio, if they continue to be within the fray, can disrupt the voting equations and provides surprising outcomes. The final date to withdraw nomination is November 21.
Hardik, who rose to prominence after main the Patidar reservation agitation in search of OBC standing for the Patidar caste, joined the BJP in June after being with the Congress for practically two years.
He is now touring villages of the area.
In the “list of promises” issued by him, the primary one says he’ll make it possible for Viramgam will get the standing of a district and rural persons are already thanking Patel for taking over this concern.
“Viramgam is big enough to be declared as a separate district. People have been demanding it for some time. This will resolve many of our problems because we have to travel all the way to Ahmedabad for various works related to the collector’s office or for court-related matters. Hardik has rightly taken up the issue,” mentioned Amrat Patel, a neighborhood farmer.
Other key guarantees embrace constructing a contemporary sports activities advanced, faculties, 50-bed hospitals every in Mandal taluka, Detroj taluka and close to Nal Sarovar, 1,000 authorities homes in Viramgam city, industrial property, and gardens, amongst others.
Notably, the four-page leaflet of guarantees doesn’t discover any point out of the phrase “Patidar” in it.
In his quick bio, it’s talked about that he was born in a “Hindu family” in Gujarat and his late father Bharatbhai was an energetic BJP employee on this area.
Hinting on the EWS (economically weaker sections) quota launched in Gujarat after his agitation for reservation, the leaflet says Hardik’s “historic agitation” was instrumental in offering many advantages to not only one however a number of communities.
“Our campaign is going very strong and people are showering their blessings on Hardik. People are not happy with Congress MLA and they want a change this time. We are confident that people of Viramgam seat will vote for Hardik and once again bring BJP to power in the state,” mentioned Hardik’s marketing campaign supervisor Dipak Patel.
