Trust within the KHAP: How caste equations are on the coronary heart of the 2022 Gujarat elections   

Express News Service

AHMEDABAD: Many political observers have been saying that the BJP has made caste-based politics and political events irrelevant in elections in India. But caste and group stay on the coronary heart of the Assembly polls in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dwelling state.

Such is the care being proven that each the BJP and Congress have carried out their utmost to make sure caste equations are maintained, fielding candidates from the identical group in 57 out of the 142 unreserved seats within the state. The remaining forty seats going to the polls are reserved  – 13 for the Scheduled Caste and 27 for the Scheduled Tribe.

The emergence of varied caste-based social actions — together with the Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel, the OBC motion led by Alpesh Thakur and the Dalit agitation led by Jignesh Mevani, presently with the Congress — have performed their half in guaranteeing that due emphasis is being paid on this course.

These agitations induced a number of grief to the ruling BJP and introduced down their numbers to below 100 seats in 2017. The BJP received 99 seats in these elections, whereas Congress numbers rose to 77 seats, proof so far as most specialists had been involved that these agitations performed their half in shoring up the Congress efficiency.

Interestingly, the variety of seats allotted to the Patidars by the BJP this time round is much more than that in 2017 underlining the significance being paid to the caste arithmetic by the ruling celebration. In 2017, the Patidars contested from 34 seats on BJP tickets. This time these numbers have risen to 45.

ALSO READ | CM Bhupendra Patel Interview: ‘BJP has no challenger in Gujarat election’

And if additional proof was wanted, it may be discovered within the variety of OBC candidates the ruling celebration has fielded. Their numbers have gone up from 39 in 2017 to as many as 59 now.

The OBCs and Patidars in that order in reality make up the vast majority of candidates within the checklist of each the BJP and Congress. 

Breaking down the numbers additional, in 2022, there are 28 seats the place candidates from the OBC group are contesting in opposition to one another. The Patidars, in the meantime, are taking one another on in 25 seats, whereas 12 seats will witness a BJP-Congress combat involving the Thakors from the OBC group.

When it involves different communities, candidates from the Koli group (OBCs) are preventing it out in 10 seats, whereas two seats will see Kshatriyas (Rajputs) slug it out amongst themselves. Pitted in opposition to one another in two seats every are also candidates from the Ahir, Mehar and Chaudhary communities. Jain candidates from the BJP and Congress are locked in fight in a single seat. Brahmin candidates from BJP and Congress are vying to be the MLA from one other.

ALSO READ | ‘Fund-starved’: Congress leaders shortchanged by personal celebration in Gujarat

The added emphasis on caste and group throughout the ruling celebration within the 2022 elections has additionally been triggered by the truth that leaders of varied group actions have switched sides and joined the BJP. The Patidar agitation chief Hardik Patel, who fought in opposition to the BJP in 2017, is now the BJP candidate from Viramgam constituency, whereas OBC motion chief Alpesh Thakor has additionally switched sides and is now contesting from Gandhinagar South as a BJP candidate.

The emphasis on caste equations in these elections may also have so much to do with the Congress’ Madhav Singh Solanki, the late chief who made the perfect use of caste equations in Gujarat.

In 1980, Solanki got here up with the KHAM (Kshatriya-Harijan-Adivasi-Muslim) principle based mostly on the truth that this bloc constitutes almost three-fourths of Gujarat’s inhabitants. Wooing the KHAMs helped the Congress win large. They clinched 142 seats in 1980 and 149 seats in 1985, a report that the BJP has been making an attempt to interrupt for the final 27 years.

This time the BJP has tried to conjure up an virtually related components and do a Solanki. The solely distinction is that the ruling celebration has neglected Muslims and included the Patidars — name it the KHAP (Kshatriya-Harijan-Adivasi-Patidar) principle, if you’ll. To assist them additional, they’ve sprinkled a liberal serving to of Hindutva on high of this.

Interestingly, the Congress, the one-time proponents of ‘KHAM’ and to nice success, have additionally up to date their model and gone the KHAP method, leaving out the Muslims.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which all the time positioned itself as a celebration of change, has not been immune from these developments and has additionally handed out tickets on the idea of caste equations. 

After contesting the Gujarat elections to little avail in 2017, they’re trying to provide it their greatest shot this time round. The AAP had already examined the virtues of counting on the Patidar group within the 2021 Surat native company election and received 27 company seats.

ALSO READ | Don’t waste your votes, Congress’ share will go beneath 13 per cent, says Kejriwal

Since then, the AAP has began giving precedence to Patidars in meeting tickets distribution, though Isudan Gadhvi from the OBC group is their Chief Ministerial candidate, a transfer that Arvind Kejriwal and his lead planners hope will hold the OBCs in Gujarat completely satisfied as nicely.

Footnote: An attention-grabbing Gujarat elections tidbit

Polling for one! Gir forest’s lone voter bought a polling sales space for himself in 2017.

AHMEDABAD: Many political observers have been saying that the BJP has made caste-based politics and political events irrelevant in elections in India. But caste and group stay on the coronary heart of the Assembly polls in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dwelling state.

Such is the care being proven that each the BJP and Congress have carried out their utmost to make sure caste equations are maintained, fielding candidates from the identical group in 57 out of the 142 unreserved seats within the state. The remaining forty seats going to the polls are reserved  – 13 for the Scheduled Caste and 27 for the Scheduled Tribe.

The emergence of varied caste-based social actions — together with the Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel, the OBC motion led by Alpesh Thakur and the Dalit agitation led by Jignesh Mevani, presently with the Congress — have performed their half in guaranteeing that due emphasis is being paid on this course.

These agitations induced a number of grief to the ruling BJP and introduced down their numbers to below 100 seats in 2017. The BJP received 99 seats in these elections, whereas Congress numbers rose to 77 seats, proof so far as most specialists had been involved that these agitations performed their half in shoring up the Congress efficiency.

Interestingly, the variety of seats allotted to the Patidars by the BJP this time round is much more than that in 2017 underlining the significance being paid to the caste arithmetic by the ruling celebration. In 2017, the Patidars contested from 34 seats on BJP tickets. This time these numbers have risen to 45.

ALSO READ | CM Bhupendra Patel Interview: ‘BJP has no challenger in Gujarat election’

And if additional proof was wanted, it may be discovered within the variety of OBC candidates the ruling celebration has fielded. Their numbers have gone up from 39 in 2017 to as many as 59 now.

The OBCs and Patidars in that order in reality make up the vast majority of candidates within the checklist of each the BJP and Congress. 

Breaking down the numbers additional, in 2022, there are 28 seats the place candidates from the OBC group are contesting in opposition to one another. The Patidars, in the meantime, are taking one another on in 25 seats, whereas 12 seats will witness a BJP-Congress combat involving the Thakors from the OBC group.

When it involves different communities, candidates from the Koli group (OBCs) are preventing it out in 10 seats, whereas two seats will see Kshatriyas (Rajputs) slug it out amongst themselves. Pitted in opposition to one another in two seats every are also candidates from the Ahir, Mehar and Chaudhary communities. Jain candidates from the BJP and Congress are locked in fight in a single seat. Brahmin candidates from BJP and Congress are vying to be the MLA from one other.

ALSO READ | ‘Fund-starved’: Congress leaders shortchanged by personal celebration in Gujarat

The added emphasis on caste and group throughout the ruling celebration within the 2022 elections has additionally been triggered by the truth that leaders of varied group actions have switched sides and joined the BJP. The Patidar agitation chief Hardik Patel, who fought in opposition to the BJP in 2017, is now the BJP candidate from Viramgam constituency, whereas OBC motion chief Alpesh Thakor has additionally switched sides and is now contesting from Gandhinagar South as a BJP candidate.

The emphasis on caste equations in these elections may also have so much to do with the Congress’ Madhav Singh Solanki, the late chief who made the perfect use of caste equations in Gujarat.

In 1980, Solanki got here up with the KHAM (Kshatriya-Harijan-Adivasi-Muslim) principle based mostly on the truth that this bloc constitutes almost three-fourths of Gujarat’s inhabitants. Wooing the KHAMs helped the Congress win large. They clinched 142 seats in 1980 and 149 seats in 1985, a report that the BJP has been making an attempt to interrupt for the final 27 years.

This time the BJP has tried to conjure up an virtually related components and do a Solanki. The solely distinction is that the ruling celebration has neglected Muslims and included the Patidars — name it the KHAP (Kshatriya-Harijan-Adivasi-Patidar) principle, if you’ll. To assist them additional, they’ve sprinkled a liberal serving to of Hindutva on high of this.

Interestingly, the Congress, the one-time proponents of ‘KHAM’ and to nice success, have additionally up to date their model and gone the KHAP method, leaving out the Muslims.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which all the time positioned itself as a celebration of change, has not been immune from these developments and has additionally handed out tickets on the idea of caste equations. 

After contesting the Gujarat elections to little avail in 2017, they’re trying to provide it their greatest shot this time round. The AAP had already examined the virtues of counting on the Patidar group within the 2021 Surat native company election and received 27 company seats.

ALSO READ | Don’t waste your votes, Congress’ share will go beneath 13 per cent, says Kejriwal

Since then, the AAP has began giving precedence to Patidars in meeting tickets distribution, though Isudan Gadhvi from the OBC group is their Chief Ministerial candidate, a transfer that Arvind Kejriwal and his lead planners hope will hold the OBCs in Gujarat completely satisfied as nicely.

Footnote: An attention-grabbing Gujarat elections tidbit

Polling for one! Gir forest’s lone voter bought a polling sales space for himself in 2017.