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Sipping his tea thoughtfully, Rakesh Patel says the assist of Patidars is vital to win the Unjha constituency that features Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hometown Vadnagar.
IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi throughout an election marketing campaign for the Gujarat Meeting elections, in Ahmedabad on December 1, 2022. {Photograph}: PTI Picture
His dealer good friend Rajat Shah, additionally a Patidar, echoes him, underscoring the significance of the neighborhood.
The Bharatiya Janata Occasion, which misplaced Unjha final time as a result of Patidar quota agitation, has pinned its hopes on Kiritkumar Keshavlal Patel, a Patidar and likewise an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh functionary thought-about near Mohan Bhagwat.
“The BJP misplaced the elections final time as a result of Patidar agitation. However this time, I believe, they (Patidars) will assist the BJP,” mentioned Rajat Shah.
Though the social gathering had fielded one other Patidar — Narayanbhai Patel — from the seat in 2017, merchants opined that the anti-incumbency and his “interference” in mattes of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee in Unjha led to the BJP’s defeat after a spot of virtually 27 years.
Kiritkumar, who locals attribute to as a “respectable man” admits that that BJP’s defeat final time was primarily as a result of Patidar quota agitation.
Nevertheless, issues have modified this time, he says exuding confidence of his social gathering’s win from the seat the place the chunk of voters are from the Patidar neighborhood.
The Congress has fielded Arvind Amratlal Patel from the seat which works to polls on December 5.
Congress candidate Ashaben Patel, who was related to the Patidar agitation, gained the seat in 2017.
Later she switched sides and joined the BJP and gained the Unjha bypoll in 2019.
Nevertheless, the seat fell vacant after she handed away final yr after affected by dengue.
As one strikes in direction of Vadnagar, native points reminiscent of excessive costs of cattle feed and inflation turns into louder.
Grazing his cattle, Ramjibhai, a Vaghri by caste, talks about rising costs of cattle feed, LPG cylinders, and cooking oil.
“All these are impacting us so much, however Bada Pradhan (referring to Modi as PM) will do one thing,” he says.
Kiritkumar believes that it is a bonus to contest from the constituency that features PM Modi’s hometown.
“I met PM Modi just lately at an election rally in Mehsana after a spot of virtually 10 years. I wouldn’t have any {photograph} with him. It is a bonus to contest from Modiji’s hometown,” he mentioned.
The 67-year-old is contesting solely the second election of his lifetime, the primary he unsuccessfully contested for the senate of north Gujarat College in Patan.
He has been related to the Sangh for greater than three many years, was the state head of Vidya Bharti, the RSS’s training wing. He has additionally labored carefully with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
“When Kiritbhai was Vidya Bharati’s Gujarat unit head, he labored carefully with Mohanji throughout his common secretary days and enjoys good rapport with him,” a senior RSS functionary of Gujarat mentioned.
Kirtibhai is an engineer by qualification, a builder by career, and has been working colleges for poor women in Unjha.
Kiritbhai, nonetheless, downplays his affiliation with Bhagwat, saying that within the Sangh, everybody is aware of everybody.
“I like to take care of a low profile, and have by no means been into electoral politics. Nevertheless, when a number of social gathering leaders insisted, my title was additionally forwarded as a possible candidate,” Patel mentioned, including that he’s a sleeping accomplice in enterprise.
Calling voters and BJP staff from BJP’s election workplace in entrance of the Vadnagar railway, the place PM Modi as soon as bought tea throughout his childhood, Kiritbhai remembers how he got here to find out about his candidature from his spouse.
“I used to be sitting in my workplace when my spouse known as me to tell me that I’ve been given a BJP ticket from right here. Although I used to be conscious my title was among the many probables, I used to be unsure of candidature,” he mentioned.
Vadnagar is a matter of status for the BJP, and lots of consider that Kiritbhai’s goodwill may make the social gathering’s path simpler within the polls.
There are greater than two lakh electors in Unjha, of which over 70,000 belong to the Patidar Group, 50,000 voters are from the Thakor neighborhood and the remaining votes belong to Scheduled Caste, Different Backward Class, Muslim, and different communities.
AAP had additionally fielded Ramesh Patel from the Unjha seat within the 2017 polls who bagged the eighth spot.
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