The upcoming local bodies election of Gujarat will test BJP’s 20-year dominance over the state political scene as the ruling party grapples with the ramifications of the Patel quota agitation.
Patels, a numerically strong community, have been a staunch supporter of the BJP over the years after Congress devised KHAM (Khashtriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim) formulations for winning elections in the state, sidelining the dominant community.
The wariness of BJP on quota agitation fallout is evident from the fact that they brought an ordinance to delay polls, which was later quashed by the High Court. On the other hand the government has acted with an iron hand and put main quota agitation leaders like Hardik Patel and his aides behind bars in sedition case.
The Congress is looking it as a chance to revive its fortune in the state where it has not had any substantial poll victory in the last two decades. They have declared support on reservations for the poor among upper caste and has demanded that the state should give 15 to 20 per cent quota to Economically Backward Class (EBCs) of Patels, Brahmins and Rajput communities over and above 49 per cent for Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes.
“Instead of giving reservations to EBCs the state government is trying to suppress the agitation by arresting their leaders… They could have done it in way of ordinance or by calling a special session of state assembly,” state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki said.
The BJP on the other hand is of the view that declaration of financial package for bright students of upper castes has taken away the sheen of the Patel quota agitation.
“The situation has changed now. We have declared financial package for upper caste bright students and it has been well accepted in the society,” BJP spokesperson Harshad Patel said.
Elections of local bodies were announced by State Election Commission last Friday as per which elections to six municipal corporations will be held on November 22.
On November 29, polling will be held for 31 district panchayats, 230 taluka panchayats and 56 municipalities. Majority of these local bodies including all the six municipal corporations are at present held by BJP.