As the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections are approaching, the Patidar community in the state are too charging up themselves for the same. In a recent development, the community is all set to have a meeting with the Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel at his residence today on Wednesday.
Earlier scheduled on July 7, the meeting will be held today under the aegis of International Patidar Federation, wherein the Patidar leaders will put forward and discuss the issues faced by the command in the society with the Chief Minister.
For a long time, the Patidar community has been asking Gujarat government to drop the cases filed by them during the Patidar agitation movement. Different Patidar organizations and eminent leaders of the community are altogether voicing same on the issue. With this ongoing demand, this major meeting with the Chief Minister is considered significant ahead of assembly polls of 2022 – to take place later in this year.
The Patidar Number Game, Why Patidar Votes Matter?:
According to the last recorded caste-wise census, the Patidar community is around 11 to 12 per cent of the total population and is the second largest caste in Gujarat followed by the Thakors.
Out of a total of 182 seats in the Gujarat state assembly, there around 16 seats dominated by the Patidars, where they are in majority. Nine of these 16 seats are in Saurashtra, North Gujarat has three and Surat has four of these seats. However, according to an analysis, there are around 55 seats where Patidars play a major role.
