Lok Sabha polls: Vaghela rallies supporters, demands OBC quota in proportion to population

At a public meeting in the state capital, in which people had come in luxury buses and cars, Vaghela appealed to his supporters to defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The veteran politician reiterated that he is working with non-BJP parties to form a coalition government like UPA-I and UPA-II that were led by the Congress.

He also praised UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Rajya Sabha member Ahmed Patel.

vaghela said that the BJP government has failed to give people “achche din” — a promise that the party made to the electorate in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“You (Modi) deliver speeches, but your words have no meaning. Give us results. If you cannot deliver results in four-and-half years, people of the country are going to say, come on, its your turn now (to deliver). Who are you fooling?” he said.

The veteran politician also attacked the BJP government at the Centre for “seeking Rs 3.5 lakh crore from the RBI”, and appointing “corrupt officials” to the CBI “to hide your sins and harm your opponents.” “Entire system is finished….This government has nothing to talk about after four-and-a half years,” he said.

Talking about the BJP government in Gujarat, he said it is reeling under a debt of Rs 2.5 lakh crore. It is announcing schemes worth thousands of crores but is not willing to waive loans of farmers, he said. “In Gujarat, there were very few cases of farmer suicides (earlier). But in the last one month alone, 10-12 farmers have ended their lives,” he said.

He also criticised the state government over a report that Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel was unable to rent a house in the state. “Why should you hound a man if he is fighting for his community? Doesn’t he have the right to live here?” he asked.

Stating his electoral strategy for the Lok Sabha elections, Vaghela announced to hold a convention of OBCs on Bhathiji Maharaj Temple premises at Phagvel in Kheda district in the last week of December. He said there are many OBC castes that had remained outside the ambit of the reservation system and hence, he was going to organise the convention. He said he would demand reservation in jobs and higher educational institutions for OBCs in proportion to their population.

OBCs in Gujarat account for about 51 per cent of the total population but are entitled to 27 per cent quota at present.

Political analysts interpret it as a political stunt of Vaghela even as the Supreme Court has made it clear that reservation, under no circumstances, can exceed 50 per cent. At present, there is 49.5 per cent reservation in government jobs and higher educational institutions – 27 per cent for the OBCs, 15 per cent for the Scheduled Tribes and 7.5 per cent for the Scheduled Castes.

Meanwhile, the presence of state president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Jayant Patel alias Bosky, who is also a sitting MLA, at the public meeting gave rise to speculation that Vaghela may be joining the NCP.

Vaghela, however, evaded questions from the media regarding the speculation. He said it was a “Sneh Milan’’ programme and everybody was welcome. Former BJP leader Vipul Chaudhary was also present at the event.

Vaghela also called for setting up a museum dedicated to the rulers of erstwhile princely states so that “the new generation remembers their contribution.” Vaghela had recently written an open letter to Modi making the demand.

Before addressing the gathering, Vaghela held a road-show. Among those who attended the gathering were representatives of erstwhile royal families who felicitated Vaghela for demanding a museum dedicated to former rulers.

With PTI