Just like many parts across India, poll bound Gujarat too is experiencing caste factor dominating over many other important aspects in the selection procedure of candidates for the ensuing Assembly polls to be held on 9th and 14th December irrespective of party line.
Being a home-state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ensuing Gujarat elections are shaping up as prestige issue for both the major parties – BJP and Congress and because of it both the parties gave priority to caste ahead of other factors and gave maximum number of tickets of OBC communities.
The emergence of trinity – Patidar leader Hardik Patel, OBC leader Alpesh Takore and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani – on the political arena of Gujarat have completely changed dynamics of selection procedure for ruling BJP and main Opposition Congress party.
No party want to take chance, especially BJP which may face anti-incumbency factor as it has been in the power over the two decades in the state. As per the demographic data of the state, OBC communities have 0ver 40 per cent population which reflected in the lists of Congress and BJP as out of 182 they gave 65 and 57 tickets to OBC candidates respectively. In the 2012 assembly polls BJP had given tickets to 47 OBCs and 57 candidates from these communities contested on Congress ticket.
Representation of Patidar community in BJP’s list remained the same compared to last assembly polls, but Congress which believed to have gain grounds in Patidar dominated assembly constituencies decided to give 57 tickets to Patidars compared to 45 in the last elections. As far as Dalit and Tribal candidates are concerned, both the party resorted to all most same numbers compared to previous assembly polls.
Ruling BJP had neither given a single ticket to minority community last time nor the saffron brigade considered Muslim candidate for the 2017 polls. Even Congress cut on one minority candidate and gave six tickets to Muslim candidates compared to seven last time. Kshtriya community got bigger representation in the BJP’s list of candidates as the marshal community got 12 seats compared to 8. Congress to give eight berths to the community compared to seven.
Brahmin and Jains are biggest victims of the caste based selection procedure adopted by the both political parties as BJP put major cut on Jains as it gave only five tickets including the Chief Minister Vijay Rupani compared to 15 last time. Similarly only seven Brahmin candidates appeared in the ruling party’s list compared to 10 last time. Same is the case for opposition party as it gave ticket to only one Jain candidate compared four. In 2012 the opposition party gave tickets to eight Brahmins but this time only five visible in the list.