A man seated near five-time BJP MLA Narayan Patel at his office in Gandhi Chowk area of Unjha town listens intently to him as the lawmaker explains how the party has not fielded any candidate on its symbol in the elections to Unjha Municipality, fearing a drubbing in view of the Patidar stir for quota benefits. BJP is in power in this municipality for the last two decades. Unjha Municipality has nine wards with a provision of four councillors. For the 36 seats, 85 candidates have filed nomination papers — 80 Independents and five from Congress. The Patidars constitute 70 per cent of Unjha population. [related-post] The Patidars, who are contesting the election, claim they have nothing to do with BJP and even brag about the FIRs registered against them in connection with the quota violence. Elections to municipalities, taluka and district panchayats are to be held on November 29. “What do we do?” says Narayan Patel, who is representing Unjha Assembly constituency for the past five terms. “Even if, somebody wanted to fight elections on party symbol, he or she faced immense pressure from the family and the community not to fight on a BJP ticket. People said that they wanted to show BJP (might of the Patidars) this time. We have fielded at least 30 candidates, but without giving them a label (of BJP),” Narayan says. When asked who are these “BJP candidates”, Narayan is alerted. “I cannot give those names. It will have a counter effect”, and quickly adds, “But, we will win at least 17 seats.” BJP leaders call it a “strategy” which gives them an open hand to pick the municipality body from the winners. “But, there is no guarantee, they will remain with BJP,” a party leader says. Congress too has fielded only five candidates. Amrut Pandya, Congress’s supervisor for Unjha Municipality, says, “It is because of the Patidar factor. Our men were not ready to contest on party symbol and preferred to contest as Independents. So, party mandate was given to only five who were ready to fight election on party symbol. The rest 15 are fighting as Independents, but they are inspired by the party.” Unjha was one of the worst-affected towns in the state in the violence after the Patidar quota rally on August 25. Ashwin Patel, who spent 35 days in jail in connection with the violence, is in the fray as an Independent .“I just want to show the might of the Patidar community to BJP.” He gives out names of four “BJP candidates” fighting as Independents. One of them is Pankaj Patel. “There is a one-point agenda of this election — to oust BJP,” says Pankaj, who claims to be close to Hardik Patel. He rejects the “BJP tag” and alleges that Ashwin is a “hidden BJP man”.
