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Non-Gujaratis can swing poll results on 6 Ahmedabad seats

The nearly three lakh non-Gujarati voters in the city can tilt the electoral balance on 6 seats, most of which are in the eastern part of Ahmedabad.

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Ahmedabad’s demography has been changing as it grows to become a truly cosmopolitan city. It is now home to people from every part of the country. This demographic change may impact the outcome of the assembly elections in the city later this year, even if ever so slightly.

The nearly three lakh non-Gujarati voters in the city can tilt the electoral balance on 6 seats, most of which are in the eastern part of Ahmedabad. In these constituencies, non-Gujaratis comprise between 10 and 15% of the voter population. Ahmedabad has 16 assembly constituencies.

Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress are working overtime to win over voters whose native tongue is not Gujarati.
Non-Gujaratis can be found in all areas of the city but a majority of them live in the Narol-Naroda stretch of eastern Ahmedabad.

Migrant labourers, mainly from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, live in old city areas from Narol to Naroda.

“Non-Gujaratis can play a decisive role in constituencies such as Amraiwadi, Bapunagar, Thakkarnagar, Vatva and others,” said a source. Similarly, in another half-a-dozen constituencies, people from outside the state have around 4-5 per cent share in the votes.

No party can afford to ignore them as the turnout among non-Gujarati voters is considerably high, the source added.
Both BJP and Congress have set up ‘other language cells’ (Anya Bhasha Bhashi Cell).

CR Patil, president of Anya Bhasha Bhashi Cell of BJP, claimed that people from other states may have affiliations with other parties in their respective home states, but when they migrate to Gujarat, the BJP becomes their ‘natural choice’.

On the other hand, president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee’s Anya Bhasha Bhashi Cell, JP Pandey, said that non-Gujaratis were ‘committed’ to the Congress and the party would bring them back in its fold.

The parties’ cells for non-Gujaratis have started preparations for the elections much before the polls. Both the parties have organised a number of public meetings in different parts of the state. They also have plans to invite leaders from Karnataka, Adhra Pradesh, Bihar, UP, Rajasthan and Maharashtra to campaign for them among the migrant population. 

“Leaders from other states will come and stay with people of their caste and community. They will hold meetings with them in small groups and explain how the BJP has neglected them and how the Congress will help them if it forms government in the state,” said Pandey. 

However, the parties are yet to decide whether or not non-Gujaratis should be given tickets or how many should be fielded in the assembly elections. Incidentally, these cells have not made any concrete demand for representation to non-Gujaratis.

“The candidates will be selected by the party and we will not interfere in it or demand representation. If there is more than one candidate, then it will have a negative impact on the party’s performance,” said Patil.

Pandey too said that they do not want more representation but want strong candidates who have acceptance in the Gujarati community and who can also give voice to their concerns.

However, some non-Gujarati leaders of both parties are believed to have argued for their candidature before their respective parties. Chiranjividas Dutta, who was once very close to chief minister Narendra Modi, is believed to be in the race for the Amraiwadi seat.

Similarly, former BJP corporator from Bapunagar, Nagesh Devpalli, depends on nearly 15,000 votes of Telugu-speaking Padmashali community in Bapunagar constituency. From the Congress, former mayor of Ahmedabad, Himmatsinh Patel, is believed to be the front-runner for Bapunagar constituency.

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