Will quota icons be gain or pain for Cong in Gujarat?
THE PATIDARS’ ANGST AGAINST THE BJP GOVERNMENT HAS BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED. BUT IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF THE CONGRESS IS ABLE TO TAP INTO THAT ANGER
RAJKOT: VL Desai is an angry man and when Mukeshbhai Yadav wondered about the reason behind the demand of socially and economically influential Patidars for reservation in Gujarat, he had a ready answer.
“Why don’t we? We are no longer landlords and there are no jobs for us,” Desai, a Kadva Patel, said and lauded Patidar quota agitation leader, Hardik Patel, for making it a national issue.
Standing nearby at Teen Bati Chowk in Jetpur, about 70km from Rajkot, Keshubhai Veljibhai Sakhrelia, a Leuva Patel, blamed the BJP government for their condition.
“Where is ‘vikas’ (development) for us? There are only promises but no action,” the 50-year-old said.
The Patidars’ angst against the BJP government has become more pronounced. But it remains to be seen if the Congress is able to tap into that anger. At the same time, the Congress is caught between a rock and a hard place as it draws up a strategy to deal with Hardik, Other Backward Class (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakor, and Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani.
Hardik has been demanding reservation for Patidars and Thakor will not allow any tampering with the OBC quota.
While OBCS constitute 40% of Gujarat’s 60 million population, Patidars comprise 12%. The OBCS in the state are given 27% quota in jobs and education. The Scheduled Castes (SCS) have 7% and Scheduled Tribes (STS) 15%, making a total of 49%, just under the 50% reservation cap set by the Supreme Court.
Ever since Hardik came in contact with the Congress, he has vacillated from one extreme to another.
Last week, he called the BJP “maha chor (super thief)” and Congress “chor (thief)” but insisted that he, along with the grand old party, will work to defeat the ruling side.
But a few days later, he issued an ultimatum to the Congress to clear its stand by November 3 on the Patidar reservation issue.
For its part, the Congress is trying to do a balancing act. It has offered 20% reservation in jobs and education to Economically Backward Classes (EBCS), including upper caste communities, in addition to the existing 49% reservation to SCS, STS and OBCS, if voted to power.
This will also have a reflection in the party’s manifesto being prepared by a team headed by senior leader Madhusudan Mistry.will the Congress keep tolerating Hardik’s tantrums?
“His language and attitude are that of a 24-year-old youth. We cannot be like BJP, which uses bullets and batons against its people. We will find a way to deal with him,” former Gujarat Congress chief, Arjun Modhwadia, said.
Political experts say that there will be legal hurdles in implementing the promise to give quota to EBCS. “Constitutionally, it is most difficult to give a specific quota. Hardik is a problem for the Congress and his demand is difficult to meet. But I still think they might try and negotiate with him,” said political analyst Achyut Yagnik.
Out of power in Gujarat since 1995 and fancying its chances for the first time in 22 years, the Congress does not want to antagonise the OBCS.
How will the Congress negotiate the Patidars’ demand? Political expert Vidyut Joshi said reservation cannot be given on the basis of economic backwardness and for now the Congress is focussed only on elections.