Surat: Over 63% voters who exercised their right to franchise in the 2017 assembly elections in Surat city and district had voted for BJP. Now, people from textile and diamond sectors and those in civic administration in the city want their voices to be heard by the state government.
Textile businessman Pramod Chaudhary tweeted, "Surat has reposed total faith in you (Modiji), now is the time to reciprocate."
Rajesh Modi tweeted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all MLAs and MPs of BJP, "Rajkot is of Vijay Rupani, Ahmedabad of Amit Shah and Vadodara of PM Narendra Modi. Surat and south Gujarat belong to whom? When will Surat get what it deserves and desires?"
These are a few of more than 20,000 tweets of people from south Gujarat, including Surat, giving vent to their frustration at not being heard in Gandhinagar.
On December 9, in the first phase of assembly elections, of the 26.85 lakh votes polled for 16 seats in the city and Surat district, an overwhelming majority of 16,76,238 had voted for BJP. Congress came second with 9,73,306 votes.
"Have you ever seen a region where more than 62% of people had voted for a particular party and still when the ministry is formed, the region gets just a token representation?" said a senior politician.
BJP's sitting MLA from Varachha Road seat Kumar Kanani, who won against all odds, said, "It is time that we now get to see the results."
After Surat returned 15 of the 16 MLAs and all the 12 MLAs from the city, the Diamond City got represented by just one minister in 2012. The district got one ministry, but the area which has given 25% of total MLAs to the party, got nothing.
Kanji Bhalala, a social worker from Varachha, said, "It is not that the top leadership is unaware about the potential of Surat and south Gujarat. Elected MLAs do not talk as people's representative but as party representatives. This is why we have to suffer. Moreover, Surat is inhabited by business people and nobody wants to get into the bad books of the government."
However, a section of people believe this time justice would be done as BJP has suffered a setback in Saurashtra.
South Gujarat Textile Processors' Association (SGTPA) president Jitu Vakharia said, "The process of communication has started and things are moving in a positive manner. We expect the city and its trade and commerce to get due representation in Gujarat assembly."
BJP workers celebrate party's victory in the city on Monday
