Sadbhavana fasts ……. and here is Sadbhavana fruit!

By our correspondent, Bharuch/Ahmedabad 8 December 2011

On Wednesday the Gujarat BJP issued a press release on its victory in by-polls of municipalities and municipal corporations across the state. The press release allotted considerably good size of space to party’s victory on one seat of Ankleshwar municipality.

There were two reasons for this special mentioning. The winning candidate was a Muslim was the first reason, and the second reason was that Ankleshwar is part of Bharuch, a place from where Shri Ahmed Patel, Political secretary to UPA Chairperson and Indian National Congress’s President Sonia Gandhi belongs to.

Senior BJP leaders in Gujarat gives credit of victory of four Muslim candidates of BJP including one from Ankleshwar to Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s Sadbhavana mission fasts. They say Congress’s last safe vote-bank in Gujarat(the Muslims) is not secure anymore.

Ankleshwar municipality’s seat of ward no.9 was unfilled due to sudden death of sitting BJP Councillor Ikram Patel. When by-poll was announced, BJP decided to field late Ikram Patel’s son Bakhtiyar Patel, while Congress fielded its local leader Sikandar Fadwala.

BJP made its former ruling party leader Janak Shah aka Pintu as incharge. Shah and present Bharuch Municipality President Sandip Patel aka Rocky built a strategy and worked day and night to give Sadbhavana gift to Modi in Ahmedbhai’s area.

The election took place on 4th of December, and yesterday’s counting gave 1369 votes to Bakhtiyar Patel, while Congress party’s Sikandar Fadwala received 1252 votes. An independent candidate didn’t prove decisive, as he got just 21 votes.

Thus BJP candidate was declared victorious with margin of 117 votes.

If we go further at micro level, the winning candidate of BJP secured 483 votes in Muslim areas of Sapna, Saraswati, Sarvoday, Faiz park, while Congress candidate got only 78 votes in same areas. In Kasbativad area Congress got 337 votes while BJP 156, in Kagdivad Congress got 321 while BJP 262 votes.

District minority cell President of BJP Shri Siraz Neki said this was a victory of development. Rival Congress party’s spokesperson Nazu Fadwala accepted the verdict and said the party would again try to convince the people in future and would work for the development of Bharuch in future.

Bakhtiyar’s victory procession was packed with BJP workers, majority of them were Muslims. This is perhaps new look of BJP while Modi’s Sadbhavana fasts are going on.