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Gujarat Elections 2017 | Patidar, GST factor to impact Mehsana battle

Resultantly, the BJP has depended on its senior Patel leaders and has also attempted to reach out to OBCs, which may not find Hardik Patel’s aggressive Patel quota stir suiting their interests.

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Mood in the spice city of Gujarat is pungent over GST and the ruling party could find the taste unpalatable as it contests the poll in the epicentre of Patidar agitation.

But, non-Patidar voters have high praise for the work done by PM Narendra Modi in Mehsana, whose village Vadnagar is under Unjha Assembly seat, where people from several houses are NRIs.

Coupled with GST woes is Patidar’s reservation agitation in both Unjha as well as the district town Mehsana from where Gujarat’s Deputy CM Nitin Patel contests.

Mehsana is billed as the toughest test for the BJP in Gujarat owing to larger number of influential Kadva Patel voters, who are also believed to have funded Hardik Patel’s agitations across the state.

Resultantly, the BJP has depended on its senior Patel leaders and has also attempted to reach out to OBCs, which may not find Hardik Patel’s aggressive Patel quota stir suiting their interests.

In Mehansa, while Congress’ hopes are high owing to Patidar factor, BJP has banked on its formidable and flamboyant face Nitin Patel, who is contesting the seat for the second term.

As one enters Mehsana from Ahmedabad, the bill boards of BJP has only face apart from Nitin Patel on it—that of Modi.

In the background is the buzz that even Nitin Patel could be declared as CM face as BJP seeks to counter Patel anger. BJP has so far downplayed such speculation.

A number of non-Patel voters to which DNA talked, however, vouched for “Vikas” in Gujarat when Modi was CM and said they will vote for BJP, whoever is the candidate.

50-year-old Garmej Singh, a settler from Bhuli in Dhanbad, who has road roller business in Mehsana says that the contest is no doubt not one-sided this time but “jeetenge Modiji hi”.

A youth Hardik Patel claims all Patels will not vote for Congress on Hardik’s call while BJP will get votes of all other communities. Besides he cities “Nitinbhai’s personal connect” as a major boost for BJP in Mehsana.

Even as APMC in both Mehsana town and Unjha have their chairman from BJP, the mood of traders in both places shows all is now well. In Mehsana APMC, Mukeshbhai Modi says that Patel youths, who have borne the brunt of agitation are angry but is hopeful that elders will see reason and stick to the BJP, which they have been supporting for two decades. “Had BJP fielded anybody else than Nitinbhai, it was a sure loss but he has worked a lot for Mehsana,” he says while noteban is not an issue, GST is indeed creating heartburns.

In Unjha APMC, Jigneshbhai says, “We have nothing to do with BJP or Congress. But who brought this GST. All the traders are harassed. Our business went down. We will let it known.”

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