AAP, Congress show of strength: Chaitar campaigns for Sukhram Rathva

Accompanied by party colleague and Chhota Udepur AAP President Radhika Rathwa, Chaitar joined Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Shaktisinh Gohil and Rathva at the fair, dancing with the tribal community that turns out in its finery.

In a brief public address at the event, Chaitar said, “Whenever Sukhrambhai calls me, I will come and stand with him with all my strength, mind and intent… We are together in the upcoming polls… I also want to state that Shaktisinh (Gohil) bapu has constantly been with the tribal community, responding to calls at any time of the day or night.”

In his address, Gohil urged the tribal community to elect the two INDIA bloc candidates — Chaitar and Rathva — to the Lok Sabha. Invoking the arrest of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha executive president, the GPCC president said, “If there is any party under which a few people become rich and the others are oppressed and the common man exploited, it is the BJP. They take away lands of common people and tribals have experienced this here. The BJP is against tribals and tribal leaders. Therefore, when Jharkhand had a tribal Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the BJP could not digest it… They pressured him to join their party but he is a man of steel and he refused to bend down to them… He chose to go to the jail to fight for the tribals”.

Further attacking the BJP, Gohil said, “The BJP sent Soren to jail and it has a tradition of shutting up those who speak against it… But the tribals also have a tradition of throwing over those who oppress the community. Has the BJP given you any land ownership record for your forest lands? It was the Congress government under Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh that brought the Forest Rights Act… If you want your issues to be raised in Parliament, then you must elect the two INDIA bloc candidates — Chaitar Vasava from Bharuch and Sukhram Rathva from Chhota Udepur”.

The joint appearance of top leaders of the two parties comes after much struggle among the ranks to come to terms with the alliance in Gujarat. Congress leaders, including Rathva, had strongly opposed the alliance. However, senior party leaders said that the alliance is “for the larger good” and for the Congress, which has lost its popular leaders from the district to the BJP, Chaitar’s growing popularity is undeniable.

“It is true that Chaitar has gained immense popularity among the tribal communities across the central and South Gujarat belt… Especially among the tribal youth, he has become an icon. At a time when the party has seen the exit of tall tribal leaders like 10-term Chhota Udepur MLA Mohansinh Rathava, former Union Minister of State Naran Rathwa as well as Dhiru Bhil, the Congress cannot deny that it can also use the alliance to its benefit in the seats in proximity to Bharuch, where Chaitar is contesting from… Also, as part of the alliance, a joint campaign is definitely on the cards,” a senior party leader said.

Meanwhile, Chhota Udepur BJP candidate Jashu Rathwa was also seen visiting various locations in Kawant to interact with the tribal community at Ger Mela Wednesday.