AHMEDABAD: Supported by
Congress,
Jignesh Mevani won from Vadgam in Banaskantha by a margin of more than 19,000 votes. Mevani took out a victory procession in an open jeep with his supporters sporting Mevani masks. "My victory is a victory of Una flogging victims — Balu Sarvaiya and family — and Thangadh police firing victims. My victory will ensure voice of every marginalized and poor is raised in the
Gujarat assembly," said Mevani.
Mevani, who will take out a rally from Vadgam to Vadnagar, Modi's home-town, after his victory expressed his readiness to support Congress to take on "communal and fascist BJP" in 2019
Lok Sabha polls.
Mevani's stature grew swiftly after the Una atrocity in 2016 — the flogging of four Dalit youths who were falsely accused of killing a cow. Mevani established himself as a Dalit leader and led a 330km protest march from Ahmedabad to Una in Saurashtra.
Mevani never commanded the mass support that
Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakor manage. Mevani, who has studied law and worked a journalist, advocates land reforms for the benefit of Dalits, champions trade unionism, and speaks up for Dalit and minority rights.
He quit the Aam Aadmi Party to be at the vanguard of the agitation against the Una atrocity.Ahead of the elections, his coinage 'Aa vakhate padi do' (bring down the BJP this time) had become the poll mantra for those who wanted the BJP out. Even Patidars, who rallied behind Hardik, adopted the slogan.
Muslims, who form a sizeable number of voters in Vadgam, started veering towards Mevani. The BJP tried to rake up the issue of nationalism and railed against Mevani for accepting funds from a Muslim outfit that allegedly has links with Islamic State. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and his team camped in Vadgam in final days of campaigning to sustain the BJP attack.
Jignesh Mevani.
