Gandhinagar (Gujarat): With Gujarat Assembly elections likely to be held in December this year, all major political parties are making all out efforts to woo voters by making countless promises. While AAP promised 10 lakh jobs and Congress free medical treatment, the ruling BJP is banking on development. However, political observers say the Patidar community will continue to play key role in the final outcome of the election.
In over 61 assembly segments, the Patidar community is numerally strong enough to swing the winning chances of contesting candidates. This community can also influence outcomes partially in 40 more seats. Thus, the Patidar voters are a deciding factor in a total of 101 seats in the 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
Going by this electoral arithmetic, whichever party gets support from the Patidars will eventually win the Gujarat Assembly election. Hence, political parties have to give tickets to Patidar candidates in the segments in view of their strong numbers.
The Patidar voters are in overwhelming numbers at 85,405 in Unjha assembly segment, 63,958 in Visnagar, 52,507 in Becharaji, 52,739 in Kadi, 63,131 in Mehsana, 67,538 in Bijapur, 54,880 in Himmatnagar, 47,090 in Mansa and 60,161 voters in Ghatlodia. The Patidar community also decides election result by having 43,968 voters in Dabhoi, 35,528 voters in Anand, 38,782 in Petlad, 32,000 in Talala, 31,783 in Bapunagar, 33,890 in Gandhinagar North, 37,240 in Patan, 37,120 in Surat East, 41,075 in Gariyadhar and 45,801 in Gadhda.
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Recently, all three major parties - BJP, Congress and AAP - tried to convince Patidar leader and industrialist Naresh Patel to join their parties when he announced his willingness to join politics. Naresh Patel, chief of Shree Khodaldham Trust (a leading organisation of Patel community in Gujarat), is very influential in Saurashtra. He has eventually postponed his decision to take the political plunge for now.
Considering the dominance of the Patidar Samaj, all political leaders make it a point to attend their programmes. Since the days of Sardar Patel and before, the Patidar community has made a huge impact in country's politics. A separate Patidar Education Institute has been started to run schools and colleges in 42 taluks.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Patidar educationist Dinesh Bambhanial pointed out that the Congress could not come to power in Gujarat ever since it broke ties with the Patidar community in 1995. The impact of the Patidar reservation movement was huge in 2017 Assembly elections. Ahead of the coming elections, BJP in-charge Ratnakarji visited the education institute of Patidar Samaj. Sardar Patel Seva Dal General Secretary Purveen Patel said that out of 182 Assembly seats of Gujarat, the Patidar community is dominant in 60 seats while there are 40 seats in which Patidar Samaj is the candidate.
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It is significant to note that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a special mention and praised the Patidar community in his speech on September 11, 2022. The PM said that wherever the Patidar community goes, business gets a new identity. The BJP Government at the Centre promoted Patidar leaders Rupala and Mandaviya as cabinet-level ministers.
Gujarat has so far seen a total of 17 Patidar Chief Ministers like Chimanbhai Patel, Babubhai Jasbhai Patel and Keshubhai Patel . In 2017, there was a Patidar reservation movement in Gujarat ahead of the Assembly elections. Its effect was seen in the 2017 elections. BJP was restricted to only 99 seats.
Political analyst Jaywant Pandya said that Gujarat has the largest population of Patidars, the impact of which is also seen in politics. These industrious people have made great strides in Gujarat and abroad as well. In the 2022 assembly elections, the current Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will be running for the CM post again. The BJP is planning a way to attract maximum votes of the Patidar community.
