No cakewalk for parties here
PROTEST PATH The Gujjar community’s demand for reservation poised to be an election issue
Naval Kishore Sharma and Rajesh Pilot did make a difference but after that there was dearth of leadership. At present, their leaders are limited to their areas.
Coming elections would not be a cakewalk for both the Congress and the BJP as many of constituencies in the Dhundhar region are either dominated or has the presence of Gujjar community, who have been demanding 5% reservation within OBC quota since 2008. Despite many attempts by successive governments of both the parties, it could not materialise. The previous Congress government was able to provide only 1%. Gujjar and four other castes Rebari, Banjara, Gadariya and Gadariya Luhar are demanding 5% reservation within OBC.
Gujjar Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti president Kirori Singh Bainsla, who is leading the agitation recently announced that the Samiti wouldn’t allow BJP’s Gaurav Yatra led by chief minister Vasundhara Raje in Sawai Madhopur. He has taken a similar stand on the Congress campaign as well. The Gujjar agitation, in which 37 pr- otesters died, was one of the reasons why the BJP could regain power after facing defeat in the 2008 assembly polls.
However, the Congress is banking on its state president Sachin Pilot, who is a Gujjar and a Member of Parliament from Dausa, to make things in party’s favour in the coming elections.