Even as Congress in Gujarat struggles to keep its meagre existence afloat, there are fresh allegations against its State Party President. Vo! has been sounded off by party members about how State Party President Jagdish Thakor made an irresponsible statement that is proving to be expensive to the party which is already nearly comatose in Gujarat.
Gujarat is a highly polarised State and this time the Party High Command was expecting that Congress will benefit because AAP would dent into BJP votes. The High Command had sternly asked the State Unit to stay away from all controversies. Any statement that seems to be appeasing the Muslims cost a political party high in Gujarat. In Gujarat, minorities mean just the Muslims. In the past, when the BJP was on a slightly weaker foot, the Congress messed it up with its’now infamous Maut ka Saudagar comments. This time State Congress President Jagdish Thakor has further spoiled the already bleak chances of Congress getting dignified number of seats by claiming that minorities have the first right to the country;s treasuries and resources. This statement and the programme recording is being widely used by the BJP to assert how at the end of the day Congress believes in nothing but only minority appeasement. Ha Jagdish Thakor made this statement deliberately to help the BJP? Has Thakor “committed’ help to a top Gujarati BJP functionary? Well, this is the buzz that is keeping the Congress busy these days in Gujarat.And yes, let us add that this is typical Congress style to attack a leader in power. Will Thakor be able to give a better performance in Assembly 2022 than what the Party achieved in 2017? We don’t think so but we think that Jagdish will be targeted soon for this statement of his.
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There have been different sections of the society staging agitations of late. The police force in Gujarat has been one of them demanding scrapping of fixed pay, regularisation of services and increase in pay. Recently, the Gujarat government made a massive announcement declaring a Rs 550 crore annual package for the police grade pay rise. Now, the Gujarat government wants an affidavit done by these class III and IV police personnel that they are absolutely okay with this rise. This is of course to prevent them from going back on their words and again launching an agitation. The Gujarat government trusts their IPS officers and have asked them to get the police personnel signatures on an affidavit. But nope,, the police personnel do not want to do the same. Whatever the pressure, we are not going to play in the hands of these IPS officers, the cops say.
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Awassuddin Owaisi of AIMIM was aiming big in Gujarat. We are told that these days, he feels largely dumped and ditched in Gujarat. All his top leaders, Muslims ofcourse, are one by one going with the BJP. As such, Owaisi has of course been talked about how he will be helping the BJP by driving away Muslim votes from the Congress but before he can actually help the BJP, his party members have directly started helping the BJP. The latest AIMIM member to hobnob with the BJP is his State President Sabir Kabiwala. A former Congress man, Kabliwala a former Congress MLA representing the minority dominated Jamalpur Khadija seat in Ahmedabad is believed to be in direct such with the BJP. There are about 20 Assembly seats in Gujarat with significant Muslim votes crossing over 21 %. There are12 other seats with about 9% Muslim votes. AIMIM is expected to woo these Muslim votes and dent the Congress margins. Almost all their leaders have earlier been with Congress and know the socio demographics well. The AIMIM has already demonstrated how they will dent the Congress votes in the Modasa and Godhra Nagarpalika elections where they walked away proudly with over a dozen of their candidates emerging victorious. Gujarat has over 58.47 lac Muslims which is about 9.67% of the State’s total population.
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Medha Patkar is one entity that unites Gujarat. Rather most Gujaratis. Medha unites the BJP and Congress. In the past when the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) was at its peak, Medha united the then Janata Dal Gujarat led by Chimanbhai Patel, BJP and Congress. Now, Medha has again popped up in the rundown to the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections. Our sources in AAP confirm that they are smart and know the Gujarati pulse and have no plans to get Medha to Gujarat but the BJP has made it a point to “use”Medha. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already said that a political party is ploying a backdoor entry into politics for Medha. Without naming the Aam Aadmi Party, Amitbhai has attacked Arvind Kejriwal saying they have plans to make Medha contest from Gujarat. However flawed the Congress and BJP government’s rehab for Sardar Sarovar Project’s displaced tribals has been; there is an unanimous opposition against Medha Patkar in Gujarat. She is perceived as anti Gujarat and this perception has been in the State for over two decades. The AAP had fielded Medha from Mumbai’s North East Loksabha constituency in 2014.
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How much ever the Congress and its aides try to wine out the otherwise innocent gaffe of Rahul Gandhi’s 20 litres of atta; Gujarat is one place where it is bound to stay. Rahul Gandhi is visiting Gujarat after nearly seven months to address his booth workers but ahead of his visit, the BJP has successfully put it into Gujarat psyche of how this man cannot lead the nation even his party. Thats what the memes say. And there are several of them. The IT cell of the BJP in Gujarat is really an active outfit and has done its party proud by ensuring maximum circulation of RaGa member before he arrives to Ahmedabad for a few hours visit.
