This Assembly elections may see a larger number of Gujaratis come out and vote. But political parties should take heed: If they want more votes from this community, they should consider fielding a Gujarati candidate. That’s what the Gujarati Ekta Abhiyaan, a meeting of community members, said on Saturday.
The turnout showed a distinct shift in loyalty— there were people across parties, including leaders like Kirit Somaiya (BJP) Mukesh Gandhi (NCP) and Viren Shah (Congress). The idea was to discuss the alleged apathy of the administration towards Gujaratis. “Most Gujarati schools are shutting down, and the existing are in a shabby condition. The sanatoriums are in bad shape, and no one seems to care about the middle-class Gujaratis,” said Deepali Dalal, from Vile Parle.
There were demands for a Gujarati votebank, a federation for Gujaratis and a helpline. “We require a Gujarati representative in the Assembly,” Mukesh Gandhi said. Viren Shah added: “We are 40 lakh voters, irrespective of the party we support, and we want every Gujarati to vote for a Gujarati.” The members said they would demand 25 per cent seat reservation for Gujarati candidates in the next elections.
Will this affect the BJP since its votebank largely comprises Gujaratis? “This is a move against parties who insist that Maharashtrian voters vote for a Maharashtrian candidate. As for whether it will affect the BJP vote bank, this emotional appeal may shift the balance but its effects will marginal,” says political analyst Prakash Bal.
The Marathi manoos campaign of certain parties also came up. “If the Maharashtrian expects to place himself and his community ahead of other communities, then the Gujaratis should do the same,” said a member. MNS spokesperson Shirish Pankar said: “This is an attempt to create a rift between Maharashtrians and Gujaratis.”
(Inputs from Kiran Tare)
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