The day of the Patidars: Why their votes matter in Gujarat election
, ET Online|
Updated: Dec 09, 2017, 11.20 AM IST
As Gujarat goes to polls today to elect members for the 14th legislative assembly, the day belongs to Patidars, an influential community that can swing the results either way.
The polls will be conducted in two phases. The first phase includes areas with significant Patidar vote. For the first time, the Gujarat may see a trilateral contest, with traditional rivals the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress locked in a contest and the AAP making a debut.
Historically, Patidars, or Patels, are known for being loyal to the BJP. This is the first time when the disgruntled community looks to offer a stiff challenge to the BJP. A large number of Patidars are led by quota-stir leader Hardik Patel, a Kadva Patel, and the leader of PAAS (Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti), a group that organised a statewide campaign demanding caste-based reservations for Patidars in higher education and jobs. Patidars have various sub-castes, Leuva and Kadva being the most significant, who claim their ancestry goes back to the sons of Lord Rama.
For the first time, Patidar voters are split between the Congress and the BJP. Hardik Patel enjoys the support of a lot of young Patels, and is one of the major worries for the BJP. He built his campaign around sentiment against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.
Figures suggest that Patidars can influence election results in more than 70 out of 182 Assembly constituencies as they form around 15 per cent or more of the electorate in 71 constituencies. Of about 6 crore population of Gujarat, Patidars constitute 1.5 crore. Considered as strong BJP supporters till recently, Patidars are an influential community in Gujarat.
Patidars formed the backbone of support for the BJP in the 22 years of the party’s rule in the state, but this time feelings of anti-incumbency are unmistakable among Patidar farmers as well as small businessmen, particularly in Saurashtra and central Gujarat.
The Congress is trying very hard to garner the votes of this community as old feelings of resentment and distrust towards the Congress party seem to have waned. In 1980s, Congress chief minister Madhavsinh Solanki nurtured the “KHAM” vote bank (Kshyatriyas, Harijans, Adivasis and Muslims) which excluded the Patidars. That's when Patidars turned against the Congress.
Saurashtra, which covers 11 districts of the state and will vote today, has a significant population of Patidars.
The polls will be conducted in two phases. The first phase includes areas with significant Patidar vote. For the first time, the Gujarat may see a trilateral contest, with traditional rivals the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress locked in a contest and the AAP making a debut.
Historically, Patidars, or Patels, are known for being loyal to the BJP. This is the first time when the disgruntled community looks to offer a stiff challenge to the BJP. A large number of Patidars are led by quota-stir leader Hardik Patel, a Kadva Patel, and the leader of PAAS (Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti), a group that organised a statewide campaign demanding caste-based reservations for Patidars in higher education and jobs. Patidars have various sub-castes, Leuva and Kadva being the most significant, who claim their ancestry goes back to the sons of Lord Rama.
For the first time, Patidar voters are split between the Congress and the BJP. Hardik Patel enjoys the support of a lot of young Patels, and is one of the major worries for the BJP. He built his campaign around sentiment against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.
Figures suggest that Patidars can influence election results in more than 70 out of 182 Assembly constituencies as they form around 15 per cent or more of the electorate in 71 constituencies. Of about 6 crore population of Gujarat, Patidars constitute 1.5 crore. Considered as strong BJP supporters till recently, Patidars are an influential community in Gujarat.
Patidars formed the backbone of support for the BJP in the 22 years of the party’s rule in the state, but this time feelings of anti-incumbency are unmistakable among Patidar farmers as well as small businessmen, particularly in Saurashtra and central Gujarat.
The Congress is trying very hard to garner the votes of this community as old feelings of resentment and distrust towards the Congress party seem to have waned. In 1980s, Congress chief minister Madhavsinh Solanki nurtured the “KHAM” vote bank (Kshyatriyas, Harijans, Adivasis and Muslims) which excluded the Patidars. That's when Patidars turned against the Congress.
Saurashtra, which covers 11 districts of the state and will vote today, has a significant population of Patidars.
