Gujarat polls: Congress hopes to turn tide in BJP’s stronghold of Gandhinagar

Gandhinagar South has long been a stronghold of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which faced rumblings of annoyance over its nominee

Gandhinagar South has long been a stronghold of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s even as Congress’s Himanshu Patel hopes to turn the tide on the back of pressing issues such as education, focus on rural areas and rumblings of annoyance within the ruling party over its nominee.

Polling was being held in Gandhinagar during the second phase of Gujarat elections on Monday. (AP)

Patel claimed the BJP shut down 66 government schools. “Many want to educate children in rural areas but are denied permission to set up schools. The Narmada waters have not been provided for irrigation...The corporators have not spent anything on works needed,” Patel said as he campaigned last week in the Tarapur village ahead of the second phase of Gujarat polls on Monday.

Tarapur, which has a population of a little over 2000, is located two kilometres from where the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation’s jurisdiction ends.

Patel, who unsuccessfully contested against Union home minister Amit Shah in the 2002 assembly elections from Sarkhej, is banking on BJP’s alleged apathy towards rural areas such as Tarapur.

The BJP has fielded Alpesh Thakor, an Other Backward Caste leader who came in limelight when he opposed the Patidar quota demand in 2015, in place of Shambhuji Thakor. Alpesh Thakor joined the Congress ahead of the 2017 elections and won the polls from Radhanpur. He defected to the BJP before the 2019 national polls and later lost to Congress’s Raghu Desai in the October 2019 by poll.

Shambhuji Thakor won from Gandhinagar in 2007 before the seat was divided into two following delimitation in 2009. The Gandhinagar North seat is mostly urban. The adjoining villages, including some in the Ahmedabad district, come under the Gandhinagar South seat. BJP retained the seat in the 2017 assembly elections.

People aware of the matter said a survey prompted BJP to field Lavingji Thakor instead of Alpesh Thakor from Radhanpur. Posters and banners also came up in Gandhinagar asking Alpesh Thakor to stay in Radhanpur before the BJP fielded him.

Shambhuji Thakor said local party workers were opposed to the nomination of an outsider. “The people of any constituency always prefer a local representative. But it is the party’s decision. So what can we do?”

SP Thakor, a BJP functionary in Gandhinagar, said they wanted a local candidate from any community. “But the party decided against it and fielded Alpesh Thakor. So we are happy and are working hard for his win.”

Around 200000 of 371598 voters in Gandhinagar South live in urban and the remaining 150000 are in rural areas. A majority of the voters in rural areas are from the Thakor community. The seat overall has around 100000 Thakor, 60000 Patel, and 40000 Schedule Caste voters.

District Congress chief Arvindsinh Solanki said the Thakor community is against Alpesh Thakor and this will be clear in the election results. “We have a presence in the constituency’s 35 to 40 villages. In the earlier elections, the BJP would gain major votes from the Chandkheda and Motera regions...this time it will be different as even in these places people are backing the Congress.”

A local trader, who did not want to be named, said Patel has an edge as a local. “He has been very active in this region for years.”

Rameshbhai Thakor, a resident of the constituency’s Sargasan village, blamed the BJP for the price rise and said it is among the major issues for them. An engineering student said he does not know the BJP’s candidate but will still vote for him.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s nominee Daulat Patel, a farmer from Motera, said the people in the constituency are fed up with the price rise. “The other problems are schools... There are inadequate schools...and irrigation. If the AAP forms the government, our priority will be to improve education and healthcare facilities. So many villages are devoid of any medical facilities. People need a change and I am sure I will win.”

Alpesh Thakor was unavailable for comments despite repeated attempts to reach him.