Hardik, Alpesh fail to repeat poll heat against BJP

In the run-up to December 2017 state assembly polls, Gujarat Congress had thrived on then convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and face of agitation of reservation movement Hardik Patel, Other Backward Caste leader Alpesh Thakor and Dalit activist, who shook the state with his agitation in wake of outrageous attack on a Dalit family in Una for skinning dead cow, Jignesh Mevani.

The troika of dominant Patel, OBC and negligent Dalit communities had taken the BJP government in Gujarat, ruling for over two decades, head-on. Their individual persona, coupled with deep anti-incumbency factor and farm crisis, Congress had created a wave which had almost dethroned the BJP. The ruling party narrow escaped the defeat when it was restricted to 99 seats in the 182 assembly seats.

In nearly a-year-and-a-half, the trio has changed themselves into full-time politicians. Hardik joined Congress only last month while, Alpesh and Jignesh were elected legislators in December 2017 polls, Thakor as a Congress candidate from Radhanpur in Patan district while Jignesh, with help of Congress, won as an independent candidate from Vadgam in Banaskantha.

Since their elections, Jignesh after initial political activism in his region has remained away from the ground. While Alpesh kept Congress in state of confusion. Alpesh burnt his finger during mass attacks on north Indians migrant workers following a rape case of a minor girl in Sabarkantha district of north Gujarat, where he held sway.

Under severe criticism for inciting local sentiments against outsiders, the Congress gave him charge of Bihar to assist his senior Shaktisinh Gohil. Since then, Alpesh’s decline started. The ambitious leader, after keeping a low profile for a while, sought a bigger role. In the meanwhile, reports on him joining BJP never died down.

It was reported that he was negotiating with the BJP for a ministerial berth or Lok Sabha seat ticket for his wife from Patan or Banaskantha Lok Sabha seats, which was not realised. Amid these reports, factionalism started emerging in his outfit “Thakor Sena” and eventually, Alpesh resigned when campaigning for Lok Sabha contest approached.

Hardik, on the other hand, suffered major jolt after his attempt to contest Lok Sabha failed due to legal hurdle. The 25-year-old leader, however, has held marathon election rallies across the state as a star campaigner. But, his joining Congress hasn’t gone down well among Patidar community, especially among youths who supported him during reservation agitation.

Jignesh has remained busy promoting Communist Party of India leader Kanhaiya Kumar in Begusarai in Bihar and joined the campaign in Gujarat barely a week before the polls. He has held a couple of rallies in areas dominated by Dalits to favour Congress candidates.

In spite of some protests in Gujarat, that goes to polls on April 23, for 26 seats, Hardik continues to be a threat to BJP which is eyeing on repeating its performance of 2014 polls when it won all the seats. Party insiders believe that Hardik's impact will be seen on Amreli and Porbandar seats, the most.