The Patel community which was up in arms against the BJP-led Gujarat government on the issue of reservation, has looked split in its support for the party. The rural population voted for the Congress while urban voters trusted the development narrative of the BJP. These results are the mixed impact of the reservation agitation run by Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and agrarian crisis.
Some of the Patel leaders of the BJP who were big political names and lost belonged to rural parts. The leading names from the community which lost are Dilip Sanghani, Chiman Sapariya, Raghavji Patel, Naranbhai Patel, Bavku Undhad, Rajni Patel, Kanti Amrutiya and Haribhai Patel.
On the other side, BJP leaders like deputy CM Nitin Patel, former Gujarat BJP chief RC Faldu, ministers Jayesh Radadiya and Vallabh Kakadiya, former minister Kaushik Patel and Govind Patel, parliamentary secretary Babubhai Patel, chief whip in the Assembly Pankaj Desai and MLA Rushikesh Patel and some others managed to secure their seats.
The voters of urban areas gave 17 seats to the BJP. While out of 36 seats in rural Gujarat, Patel voters favoured the Congress on 12.
However, Nitin Patel denied that the BJP suffered. “The party will analyse the results but there is no reason to believe that the community gave their mandate against the BJP. Many Patel candidates have won with great leads.”
Hardik Patel said, “I will not give compliments to BJP for this victory as this was not the outcome of honest efforts. People of Gujarat have become aware and more awareness is required. EVMs were tempered.”
“Our fight for the rights of people shall continue, we will fight for reservation, agrarian issues and for youth on the basis of truth. Those who give fight, win,” Hardik said.
He summed up the BJP’s victory saying, “Hardik has not lost, unemployment, education, health, and moist eyes of farmers have lost this battle. In fact, Gujarat’s people have lost and EVM tampering has lost.”
Agitation heat
- Patidars, or Patels, accounted for about 14% of population
- They were influential in about 65 of all 182 Assembly seats
- About 25% of Gujarat’s MLAs were Patidars
- OBCs, excluding Muslim OBCs, comprised 40% of population
- ST population (15.5%) outnumbered SC population (7%)
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