BJP campaign loses shine

SURAT, Aug 25: In a move that could substantially damage the prospects of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in at least five Lok Sabha se...

SURAT, Aug 25: In a move that could substantially damage the prospects of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in at least five Lok Sabha seats, the diamond industry has decided to boycott the forthcoming general elections in protest against 8220;the government8217;s failure to meet long-standing demands8221;.

The decision has triggered panic among BJP leaders, who have held at least three meetings with the Surat Diamond Manufacturers8217; Association in a bid to convince them to withdraw their decision. Among the leaders who met SDMA office-bearers are Union Textiles Minister and BJP candidate for the Surat Lok Sabha seat Kashiram Rana and Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, who was in the city on Tuesday night.

Talking to Express Newsline, SDMA president Devshi Bhadiyadra claimed that the Labour Act and the Provident Fund Act, in their present forms, were hindering the growth of the diamond industry.

8220;The SDMA has demanded a number of times that they be amended to become more industry-friendly. Though they BJP leaders have promised to make the necessary changes, practically nothing has been done. That8217;s why the association, at its annual general meeting on Monday, decided to boycott the election throughout the State8221;, Bhadiyadra said.

With the diamond industry possessing a strong presence in the Lok Sabha constituencies of Surat, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Amreli and Banaskantha 8212; all of which had returned BJP MPs to the last Lok Sabha 8212; the fate of at least five seats is at stake if the 27 member-associations of the SDMA abide by the decision.

The diamond industry employs about eight lakhs of voters in the State; along with their dependents and family-members, they number around 32 lakhs in the five constituencies. Interestingly, about 70 per cent of the industry8217;s voters are loyal to the BJP.

Bhadiyadra said that as soon as Rana came to know of the SDMA decision, he convened a meeting of its office-bearers.

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8220;He tried to convince us to withdraw the boycott, promising that the necessary amendments would be made as soon as the new government came to power8221;, he said. 8220;I reminded him of the number of times the same assurances had been made, only to remain unrealised.8221;

Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, who was here on a short visit on Tuesday, too, tried to coax the SDMA to participate in the poll process. 8220;We told him a final decision would be taken on Thursday night8221;, Bhadiyadra said. 8220;Beyond that, I have not given him any assurances.8221;

So far as its demands were concerned, the SDMA president said they basically wanted an act exclusively for the diamond industry. 8220;Just as the Jute Act addresses the specific needs of the jute industry, we want a separate act for the diamond industry8221;, he said. 8220;It should protect and promote the industry and labour welfare. We don8217;t want to violate any laws.8221;

Under the present Acts, industrialists are bound to hire workers on payroll and are also expected to deduct PF and give them the employer8217;s share.

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The SDMA says that labourers themselves are not interested in being on the payroll.