Rahul Woos Patidars, Gujarat Government Meets Hardik Patel:
AHMEDABAD : With the Assembly elections round the corner, and rival party leaders descending upon Gujarat, the state government has started work on building bridges with the Patidar community.
Gujarat deputy CM Nitin Patel met Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel in Gandhinagar today. The state government move came in at a time when Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is on a three-day tour of the politically significant and Patidar dominated Saurashtra region of the state. Meanwhile, in Gandhinagar today, the meeting between Nitin Patel and the PAAS leader has remained inconclusive. Hardik Patel had come in for the meeting with specific demands and conditions.
Apart from the reservation agenda, Patel raised the issue of justice for those killed during the reservation stir and dropping of charges against Patidar youth along with suspension of cops responsible for the atrocities during the agitation a year ago. Nitin Patel heads a panel of ministers who are the government’s interface with the Patidar leaders.
The deputy CM is learnt to have assured the Patidar leader to take a call soon on some of their demands including formation of a non-reservation commission, and formation of an SIT to investigate alleged atrocities and firing by the cops. The meeting, however, was not fruitful – unsatisfied by the assurance from the state government, Patidars resorted to sloganeering against BJP at the Swarnim Sankul hall in the State Secretariat in Gandhinagar.
It may be noted here that Hardik has earlier indicated that he may consider supporting the Congress during the Assembly elections provided it agrees to its quota demand. Gandhi, on the other hand, was at a public meeting at Dhrol, near Jamnagar as a part of his three-day ‘Navsarjan Yatra’ in Saurashtra. The region accounts for 58 of Gujarat’s 182 assembly seats. Congress has to catch up with the BJP in the region – the latter winning 37 seats here in the last elections while the Congress won 16 seats.
Rahul Gandhi is on a three-day tour of the politically important Saurashtra region.
Ahmedabad: As Rahul Gandhi makes an all-out attempt to convert the anger of Gujarat’s powerful Patel or Patidar voters against the ruling BJP into support for the Congress. (With Agency Inputs ).
