BJP had won two seats in entire India and one of those two was Mehsana in North Gujarat. But this time the paradigm has shifted from pure BJP bastion to the land of agitations.
North Gujarat had been a stronghold for BJP when Patel community which is dominant here always backed the party. It was the time when the entire India voted in the sympathy wave after demise of Indira Gandhi in Lok Sabha polls held in 1984. BJP had won two seats in entire India and one of those two was Mehsana in North Gujarat. But this time the paradigm has shifted from pure BJP bastion to the land of agitations.
Mehsana is the place which is believed to be germination point of Hardik Patel led Patidar reservation agitation. Hardik held the first meeting seeking reservation for Patidar community in March 2015. Thereafter he held a rally in June 2015 at Visnagar town and after the community became violent and set local BJP MLA's office on fire, the entire agitation caught the momentum and that came under the limelight.
This agitation triggerred Thakor (OBC) community leader Alpesh Thakor to form another front countering Hardik Patel as the Patel community demanded OBC status. Thakors started feeling that Patel communty would eat their share in quota, if they are included. However, later on, the agitation leaders declared support to eachother and announced that their fight was against BJP government's system.
The social fibre in North Gujarat is also weaved with complexity as Patel who dominates on the region have been in direct rivalry with Thakor, Chaudhary(OBC) and Rajput communities. This always makes the political rivalry also interesting as all the communities demands tickets from party that intensifies the communal rivarly again. There are other OBC communities like Prajapati(potter), Rabari(nomadics) and others who have dominance in particular pockets
However, both the parties have maintained balance with the caste combination but Congress could have disadvantage here as the internal subotage came on layer after Alpesh Thakor joined party and managed to get tickets for his people on ten seats in this region.
If we look at the poll picutre of 2012, the BJP won over 15 seats only out of total 32 and that was most the lackluster show by the party in political history of this region. The local MLAs and BJP leaders also have been facing ire from the Patel community and other voters. The recent flood in July almost vanished Banaskantha and Patan districts, however, the BJP ruled state government could manage the situation.
CM Vijay Rupani and top officials stayed there for five days and visited almost villages and also concluded the relief and rescue work speedily. This could be breather for BJP in this region.
The deputy CM Nitin Patel, OBC leader face of BJP and minister Shankar Chaudhary, minister Dilip Thakor former minister Jaynarayan Vyas have been contesting as BJP candidates whereas Alpesh Thakor, Jivabhai Patel and other are Congerss candidate. Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani also is contesting from Vadgam seat of Banaskantha district.
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