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Nandini Oza
Nandini Oza

GUJARAT

Back-to-back setbacks for BJP in Gujarat

sawani-ani Nikhil Savani | Image courtesy: ANI Twitter

Patidar leader Nikhil Savani, who had joined BJP, resigns

Monday did not dawn well for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat. Within 12 hours after Patidar leader Hardik Patel's close aide Narendra Patel accused the BJP of bribing him to join the party, another prominent Patidar leader Nikhil Savani, who had joined the party a fortnight ago, has announced his resignation.

Savani, a Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader from Surat, said he was resigning from the BJP as he realized that the party was using the Patidars merely for votebank politics. He said he had joined the BJP thinking the party would do good for the Patidars. He said he was with PAAS convener Hardik Patel and would continue to be with him.

PAAS has been spearheading agitation for more than two years demanding reservation under the OBC category.

Savani followed North Gujarat PAAS leader Narendra Patel, who on Sunday, quit the BJP, just hours after joining the party. Narendra, at a late night press conference had alleged that Varun Patel, another former PAAS leader, who had joined the BJP, had offered him Rs 1 crore bribe to join the party.

Narendra displayed stacks of notes amounting Rs 10 lakh, and claimed these were given to him by Varun as a token amount. He alleged that Varun had promised the remaining Rs 90 lakh on Monday.

Varun and Reshma Patel, considered staunch PAAS leaders until recently, had joined the BJP on Saturday. Varun had said that he did not want to become a Congress agent, alleging that Hardik was one.

Varun denied Narendra's allegations and countered that the Congress would level more such allegations against him. He said Narendra was free to lodge a police complaint against him.

Meanwhile, taking up the issue of horse-trading in Gujarat, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “Gujarat is priceless. It has never been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought.”

Gandhi will be visiting Gujarat today, as OBC Ekta Manch President Alpesh Thakore is all set to join the Congress in his presence. Gandhi is also expected to meet PAAS leaders and dalit leader Jignesh Mewani. Mewani has made it clear that he was not in favour of the BJP but has not disclosed his next move. He has said that the decision would be taken after consulting the community.

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