Modi’s year-old Thakor obsession:Bhavsinh Rathod is latest in net

Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s obsession of wooing Thakor(OBC) community shows no sign of ending. First he picked up Natuji Thakor as Rajya Sabha candidate, then inducted Gandhinagar’s influential Thakor community leader into the party, then Kanaji Thakor was selected as mayor of Ahmedabad and recently Modi appointed Punjaji Thakor as head of the Thakor Koli Development Board. Thakor community has good influence in various pockets of North Gujarat and Kapadwanj areas. Traditionally Thakors are Congress loyalists. Modi wants to shift their inclination before the Lok Sabha poll.

The latest catch in Modi’s Thakor strategy net is Bhavsinh Rathod, who is a Congress MLA from north Gujarat’s Sami-Harij constituency(as of now!). On Monday, Gujarat BJP president Purushottam Rupala introduced Bhavsinh to the reporters at Ahmedabad in a press conference held at BJP head quarter. Rupala said that Bhavsinh is with(but not within yet!) the BJP unconditionally. He would help BJP to win the Patan seat.

It is good if Bhavsinh unconditionally helps BJP in Lok Sabha elections but it would be highly unfortunate if BJP selects him as candidate for the Patan seat. Following are some facts about Bhavsinh Rathod.

-Bhavsinh won last assembly election with margin of only around 5000 votes. He had got 48,513 votes while his rival BJP candidate Dilip Thakor had got 43,965 votes. Thus Bhavsinh is not that powerful and influential leader as projected.

-In 1990s Bhavsinh was arrested for his involvement in Cochin narcotic landing case. He was independent MLA from Sami-Harij constituency in north Gujarat at that time. He was convicted in a narcotics and drug smuggling case and spent a few yeas in a jail in Kerala. Later during Shankarsinh Vaghela’s regime in Gujarat, he was transferred to the Sabarmati central jail in Ahmedabad. He was released on bail by the local court on condition that he would have to be present before the police once every month. Even today Bhavsinh goes to Ahmedabad based Crime Branch office once every month. Bhavsinh’s son was also arrested in bordering Kutch district for his alleged involvement in fake currency racket. He was taken to Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati central jail. One Muslim co accused was also involved with him in this case. It should be noted that Bhavsinh’s Sami-Harij constituency falls in a border district with Pakistan.

-Bhavsinh is known for his flip-flop drama. He first resigned from the Congress and then withdrew the resignation. Even at a press conference held at BJP head quarter he said that he could still contest from Congress provided the party immediately announced his nomination for Patan seat. Bhavsinh’s first choice is Congress. To consider him as long time BJP loyalist would be a mistake. BJP should not forget what happened in parliament during vote of trust for Manmohan Singh government.

-Bhavsinh doesn’t suit the party with a difference. If BJP selects him as candidate, it would be highly unfortunate situation. The party is already strong in Patan. Using this man for few more Thakor votes is some what O.K. for greater common good, but he too may use the BJP in return.

-Bhavsinh’s history; 1990:Bhavsinh Rathod contests assembly elections from Sami-Harij constituency on Congress ticket but loses; 1995: Bhavsinh was denied Congress ticket but contested as independent and won; 1995 and 2002: He did not contest; 2007: Bhavsinh contested on Congress ticket and won.

-Patan Lok sabha seat has been de-reserved after the delimitation exercise. The constituency has 14 lakh voters of which around 4.5 lakh are Kshatriya and Thakors.

Faces of Join BJP/back to BJP campaign

Here is a list of those who joined BJP in Gujarat recently. Some of them joined the party in Rajkot on the stage last Sunday and some others at separate press conferences held at BJP headquarter in Ahmedabad: Bhavsinh Rathod(Congress MLA from Sami-Harij), Chandresh Patel(ex-MP Jamnagar), Tapubhai limbasia(ex-MLA Rajkot), Dhanraj Kaila(ex MLA Surendranagar), Chunibhai Gohel(ex-MLA, Veraval), Shamjibhai Chawda(Independent Chotila), Suresh Prajapati(Wankaner), Amit Mehta(grandson of former Congress chief minister Chhabildas Mehta), Karnabhai Maldhari(Mul Niwasi Sangh Rajkot), Jitu Mehta(back to BJP from Gordhan Zadaphia’s party),Kiran Patel(Galaxy group Rajkot), Chhatrapalsinh Jadeja(former Ranji player cricketer), Colonel Sudhir Upadhyay(Sabarkantha), Devang Nanavati(Times of India’s Lead India TV show’s runner up, well-known advocate and son of Congress man Sudhir Nanavati, Ahmedabad).

Former Chief Minister and Shankarsinh Vaghela-loyalist, Dilip Parikh may come back to BJP soon.Seven -time MP from Dahod is also set to join BJP(possibaly on Wendesday). Damor had quit Congress just before the 2004 Lok Sabha polls after being denied a ticket.

Keyur Shah, President of Vadodara’s Youth Congress joined BJP Yuva Morcha last month after being cold-shouldered during Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the city.

Narendra Modi’s MH destinations

Narendra Modi who in charge of Maharashtra and Goa this election has already addressed public meetings in Gondia in Vidarbha, Pimpalgaon and Pune in western Maharashtra and Thane in Mumbai. Modi is expected to attend rallies in most of the constituencies from where BJP will be contesting as per the seat sharing alliance with Shivsena. Given below is a list of Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra that BJP candidates will be contesting under Modi’s omnipresent supervision.

Mumbai: Bhiwandi, Palghar(ST), Mumbai north, Mumbai north-east, Mumbai north-central
North Maharashtra: Nandurbar(ST), Dhule, Jalgaon, Dindori(ST), Raver
Western Maharashtra: Pune, Baramati, Ahmednagar, Solapur(SC), Madha, Sangli
Marathwada: Beed, Latur, Jalna, Nanded
Vidarbha: Akola, Wardha, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondia, Gadchiroli-chimur, Chandarpur

BJP’s seat wise Lok Sabha election in charge

Guajrat BJP has announced seat wise Lok Sabha election in charge for 26 constituencies:Kutch:Pushpadan Gadhvi, Banaskantha: Rana Desai, Patan: Shankar Chaudhary, Mehsana: Nitin Patel, Sabarkantha: Jaysinh Chauhan, Gandhinagar: Surendra Patel, Ahmedabad(East): Jagdish Patel, Ahmedabad(West): Bharat Barot, Surendranagar: I.K.Jadeja, Rajkot: Dhansukh Bhanderi, Porbandar: L.T.Rajani, Jamnagar: Mulu Bera, Junagadh: Lalji Savaliya, Amreli: Dilip Sanghani, Bhavnagar: Mansukh Mandaviya, Anand: Jashwantsinh Solanki, Kheda: Rakesh Solanki, Panchamahal: Ashwin Patel, Dahod: Jashwantsinh Bhabhor, Vadodara: N.V.Patel, Chhota Udepur: Satish Patel, Bharuch: Dushyant Pael, Bardoli: Kishor Vankavala, Surat: Nanu Vanani, Navsari: Narottam Patel, Valsad: Mangu Patel.