Visavadar: A battle is on among the Patels for this former consituency of one of the
tallest leaders of the community Keshubhai Patel, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
being given a tough challenge to retain the seat of the ex-Chief Minister of Gujarat
in the December 12 Assembly polls.
Keshubhai Ambaliya of the Congress and Bipin Ramani, who is contesting as an
independent following denial of ticket by the party are putting up a challenge to
Kesubhai Bhalana, 'hand-picked' by Keshubhai Patel as the BJP nominee.
All the three prominent candidates are Patels, who constitute over 50 per cent of
the 1.5-lakh electorate in the rural constituency of Junagarh district.
Keshubhai Patel has so far not come to the constituency to canvass support for
Bhalana but district BJP vice-president Manubhai Bhut said Patel would be vigorously
campaigning there at the fag end, as it is a 'prestige' seat for the former Chief
Minister.
None of the senior Congress leaders from the state or national level has come here
for campaigning, but local Congress leader Kirtibhai Kamdar says there is no need
for it as "We are well placed".
In Gujarat, both the Congress and the BJP are attempting to win over the powerful
Patel community, which had sided with the saffron party substantially in the last
elections following projection of Keshubhai as the Chief Minister.
This time, Congress has given tickets to as many as 41 Patels while BJP has
nominated 45 candidates from the community. Half of these candidates have been
fielded from Saurashtra region, considered a Patel bastion.
The Congress is now trying to cash in on the effect on the community by the
unceremonious removal of Keshubhai from Gujarat Chief Ministership, which also
resulted in the centre of power moving away from Saurashtra.
But in Visavadar, Congress is refraining from raising the issue, as all the main
contenders for the seat are Patels.
The thrust of Congress campaigning in this constituency is on the 'failure' of the
BJP to develop the area despite Keshubhai Patel remaining Chief Minister for several
years.
BJP leaders, however, dismiss the charges and feel that there the party would face
no problem in retaining the seat, which was one with a record 73.40 per cent vote by
Keshubhai Patel last time.
BJP is using the Patel card with a difference to mar the prospects of the Congress
candidate who is chairman of the Taluka Panchayat Samiti.
'Vote to Congress is vote to Shankersinh Vaghela', is the catchphrase of BJP, which
is aware of the not so happy feelings among a section of the community over Vaghela
removing Keshubhai from the chief ministership some six years back by effecting a
split in the BJP.
Congress has secured hold over the Junagarh district panchayat as also Visavdar
taluka panchayat in the elections two years back.
Leaders of both the Congress and BJP are worried over the presence of Ramani in the
fray. Son of a former Congress MLA from the area, Ramani is president of the
powerloom owners' association at Surat and has earned a name for himself in
Visavadar, claim his supporters.
PTI
