NEW DELHI: After two decades of successful rule, the Bharatiya Janata Party is facing a serious challenge in Gujarat.
| Party | SC - 20 SEATS | ST - 32 SEATS | OBC - 50 SEATS |
|---|
| BJP | 10 | 19 | 26 |
| CONG | 9 | 13 | 23 |
| Others | 1 | 0 | 1 |
The challenge comes from the opposition and discontented minority of Gujarat. The community that feels sidelined by the ruling government are Dalits, OBCs and Patidars who form a major mass of the population of the state.
Taking the opportunity, Congress who long has been out of power in the state is trying to woo the minority of the state by supporting leaders such as Jignesh Mevani, Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakor.
There has been also a change in the candidate list of BJP who seems cautious this time.
Here are some of the popular leaders from OBC, Dalit, SC and ST categories:
1. Alpesh Thakor
Alpesh Thakor, the OBC leader of Gujarat, started the movement of Gujarat Kshatriya-Thakor Sena with an aim of liquor de-addiction in the community. He founded the OBC, SC, ST Ekta Manch, a social platform to demand proper reservations for people of the respective communities, shortly after the PAAS - Patidar reservation agitation. OBCs make up 40 per cent of the population in Gujarat. Thakor recently joined Congress and now contesting 2017 Gujarat Assemble election from Radhanpur constituency.
2. Jignesh Mevani
Jignesh Mevani, a social activist and lawyer from Ahmedabad, has become the face of Dalit agitation in Gujarat. He led protest march called Dalit Asmita Yatra after the attack on Dalit men in Una village by claimed members of cow protection group. The march was attended by over 20,000 Dalits including women. Mevani is contesting 2017 Gujarat Assembly election from Vadgam seat as an independent candidate.
3. Jagdish Panchal
A prominent OBC leader, Jagdish Panchal, is a confidant of BJP's national president Amit Shah. He has been repeated by the party this time and will be contesting as the BJP candidate form Nikol constituency. In 2012, Panchal defeated Congress candidate Narsinhbhai Ghori by a margin of 48,712 seats.
4. Maheshwari Malti Kishor
The 29-year-old Malti Maheshwari is a Dalit leader and the youngest BJP candidate to contest in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly election. She is fighting again Congress' Kishor Pingol, also a Dalit leader, in Gandhidham constituency. Gandhidham has a majority Hindu population and nearly 65,000 Dalit voters. Currently, her uncle Maheshwari Ramesh Vachchhraj of BJP is the sitting MLA from Gandhidham who defeated Chavada Jayshreeben Ajitbhai of Congress in the 2012 Assembly elections.
5. Kishor Pingol
Kishor Pingol is a Dalit leader and this time he is Congress party's candidate from Gandhidham Assembly Constituency. He will be contesting against BJP's youngest candidate Malti Maheshwari who is making her debut in the state legislative assembly elections.
6. Chaudhari Anandbhai Mohanbhai
Chaudhari Anandbhai Mohanbhai is the Indian National Congress' candidate from the Mandvi Assembly constituency for the Gujarat Assembly elections 2017. Mandvi seat is reserved for ST. He will be contesting against Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate Pravinbhai Merjibhai Chaudhari.
7. Pravinbhai Merjibhai Chaudhari
Pravinbhai Merjibhai Chaudhari is the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from the Mandvi Assembly constituency for the Gujarat Assembly elections 2017. He will be contesting against Congress's Chaudhari Anandbhai Mohanbhai. The seat has been reserved for STs.
8. Lakhabhai Sagathiya
Lakhabhai Sagathiya is the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from the Rajkot Rural Assembly Constituency for the Gujarat Assembly elections 2017. He is contesting against Vashrambhai Alabhai Sagathiya of Congress.
9. Vashrambhai Alabhai Sagathiya
Vashrambhai Alabhai Sagathiya is the Congress candidate from the Rajkot Rural Assembly Constituency for the Gujarat Assembly elections 2017. He is contesting against Lakhabhai Sagathiya of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
10. Bara Ramilaben Becharbhai
Ramilaben Becharbhai Bara is the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from the Khedbrahma assembly constituency for the Gujarat Assembly elections 2017. She is the daughter of a former MLA, Becharbhai Bara. Khedbrahma seat is reserved for the members of the Scheduled Tribes. She is contesting against Ashvin Kotwal of Congress party who currently the MLA of Khedbrahma.
.
