Within 24 hours of releasing second list of 13 candidates for the 2017 Assembly polls in Gujarat, the Opposition Congress decided to change five candidates on Tuesday following pressure from Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).
Even after this move, the PAAS leaders including Hardi Patel. Congress had released second list of 13 candidates on late Monday night, after having released 77 names on Sunday night. It changed its candidates for Junagadh, Bharuch, Kamrej, Botad and Varachha Road constituency to placate PAAS leadership. Following the announcement of candidates PAAS supporters created ruckus and even indulged in violence to get their demands met.
The Congress nominated Manhar Patel, a rebel Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) member who defected to the Congress as its candidate for Botad to take on former Industries Minister Saurabh Patel. PAAS members, on the other hand, were adamant that the nomination be done in favour of their convener Dilip Sabwa. PAAS Botad members have threatened to oppose Manhar's nomination and instead support the third front if the Congress did not change its stance.
The situation reached such a stalemate that Hardik, who was to announce support of PAAS for Congress on Monday after PAAS and Congress reached an agreement on quotas to Patel community on Sunday, had to again delay his announcement by one more day.
He is now slated to hold a press meeton Wednesday. Sources suggest that a team of senior Congress leader is holding talks with the PAAS members to pacify them.
Of the 90 candidates declared by Congress, 24 are from Patidar community. The opposition party is yet to announce 92 more candidates and more aspirants from the Patel community are expected in the list. In the case of BJP, the ruling party has given tickets to 35 patidars in its first three lists of 134 candidates.