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Nandini Oza
Nandini Oza

GUJARAT POLLS

Does the BJP have a reason to fear Hardik Patel?

Hardik-Patel-Gujarat (File photo) Hardik Patel

Patidar leader Hardik Patel's meeting in Nikol in Ahmedabad, held parallel to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to a gathering at Sabarmati Riverfront in the same district, clocked 52,800 Facebook Live views on Monday night.

This is just an example of the young leader's popularity, but there is more to it than meets the eye.

A crowd of nearly 50,000 was waiting patiently for the firebrand leader even as he made way to the eastern part of the city after holding a mega rally for which he was not granted a permission. The rally had witnessed a stone pelting incident between Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers and BJP workers at Bapunagar, which has a large number of Patidars and diamond cutting and polishing units, forcing police to resort to lathicharge.

Earlier, the rally passed through, with an overwhelming response, Ghatlodia and Naranpura, considered BJP bastions where former chief minister Anandiben Patel and BJP president Amit Shah have large following.

Hardik has taken a big chance, for in all probability, say sources, an FIR could be filed against him for taking out a rally without permission. In Surat too, an FIR was filed against him for violating conditions of the permission given for a public meeting.

However, the response Hardik got on the penultimate day of the election campaign for the second phase of elections has made the BJP sit up and notice. Out of the 93 seats for which polling will take place on December 14, a large number of them are urban seats, which are the BJP's stronghold. A response like this to Hardik is a cause of concern whether or not it translates into votes for the Congress.

Not only did Hardik appeal the gathering, which comprised of Patels and other sections of the society, to at least once throw the BJP out of power, he also administered them a pledge. “I know you do not like the other party (the Congress), but at least throw the BJP out in 2017 and it is okay if you bring them back to power in 2022,” he said.

With torches of mobiles on, the gathering pledged that they would not vote for the BJP this time. The gathering took the pledge in the name of 14 Patidar youths who died in 2015 and in the name of goddesses Umiya and Khodal who they worship.

As Hardik spoke, the gathering repeated that on December 18 they would give the result by defeating the “arrogant” (the BJP) and making six crore Gujaratis victorious.

Earlier, he said this was the time to unite and show the power of six crore Gujaratis. Hardik said he did not know what the outcome would be on December 18 but he was ready to go behind the bars should the BJP come to power. “I am ready to go behind the bars for 14 years,” he said.

He even took on Modi for dragging Pakistan to election meetings. “What has Pakistan got to do with elections in Gujarat,” Hardik asked, adding that there was a limit to telling lies.

Hardik also spoke about the rising prices of essential commodities and made a special mention of bottled gas. “We were told that subsidy would be given on bottled gas. They did give but priced the bottled gas at Rs 1,000 per bottle,” he said.

The Patidars have been demanding reservation under the OBC category, which the state government has declined saying as per Supreme Court guidelines, quota cannot exceed 49 per cent. The Congress has spoken about giving maximum reservation to those not falling under the OBC by introducing a bill. While Hardik has accepted the formula, some of his aides have reservation with what has been offered by the Congress.

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