WILL HARDIK’S SUPPORT TO CONGRESS TILT THE BALANCE IN GUJARAT

The Gujarat election which has become a prestige issue more for prime minister Narendra Modi than the Nehru Gandhi family scion and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has now assumed tremendous significance, particularly in view of the open declaration of support by the Gujarat’s most popular and well acclaimed 24 year old youth leader of Patidar community Hardik Patel.

Till yesterday, the attitude and temperament of Patel was sort of a zig zag nature as he was not in a position to outrightly decide whether to go with the Congress Party or not. But after the formal entry of the Rajput leader having his say in the Dalit and OBC community as well, Kalpesh Thakur in Congress and sharing joint political stage with Rahul Gandhi compounded with the soft corner of Jignesh Bhavani and perhaps internal pressures from the powerful Patidar community he has finally decided to support the Congress in this election. In view of the the support of Bhivani, Kalpesh and Hardik to Congress in Gujarat it seems for sure that a solid and credible combination of Dalits, Patidars, Rajputs and the OBC would be paving a direct and formidable challenge to the centrally and state ruling party BJP which had been succesful to keep the 135 year od Congress Party out of power in Gujarat for 22 protracted years.

Gujarat election is also significant from the point of view of deciding the future of the 2019 general election in which the Bhartiya Janata Party and Prime minister Narendra Modi are extremely confident of again staging a victory hands down thus compelling the main opposition Congress to bite the dust as declared by Modi and Amit Shah in their number of public meetings. While Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has emerged as a more dynamic and dashing leader in the context of Gujarat campaigning this time with countering every move of prime minister Narendra Modi by vociferously denouncing him and his government on the issues of demonetisation and GST acknowledging tremendous support and applauds from the audience in largely attended public meetings the BJP chief Amit Shah and PM Modi are trying to win the hearts of Gujaraties by accusing the Congress as anti Gujarat and anti Gujarati MANUSH and terming this election as the election of Gujarati pride and choice between dynasty or development, by announcing various pre election sops worth of rupees 11000 crores that includes massive employment opportunuties apart from the over all development of Gujarat.

These sops are in addition to the already declared over ambitious projects like hi speed bullet train and the completed, long expected Sardaar Sarovar Dam project. This election will also decide the fate of the patidar community leader Hardik Patel who’ve extended his whole hearted support to Congress Party without contesting a single seat but solely banking on the Congress Party’s assurances of giving reservation to the forward patidar community after they return to power in Gujarat.

But how, or will it be really fulfilled is anybody’s guess as the honourable Apex court has already rejected this proposition as the reservation could not exceed the 50% limit legally and constitutionally. However, though internally extremely apprehensive of the growing political influence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi whose graph on twitter and Gujarat has magically gone on acendense, its leaders like Amit Shah n PM Modi are still highly confident of winning Gujarat keeping in view their spate of previous victories in 9 states out of 14 where elections were held after the BJP’s historic coming to power at the centre.

If political analysts are to be believed the anti incumbency factor majorly plays a pivotal role in each election except in some exceptional cases. And since Bjp is ruling the state for the last nineteen years, it’s not necessary that it can’t loose. The chances of Rahul seems to bright while that of BJP bleak. But if BJP really wins as is undeniable as well, it’s bound to repeat power by winning the 2019 elections, hands dow. What do you say friends?

SUNIL NEGI