Surat: So what those 27 odd Aam Admi Party (AAP) councilors are doing after getting elected to Surat Municipal Corporation from Saurashtra origin Patel populated areas of city with the help of Patidar agitation outfit?

Well, AAP city general secretary’s photographs of paying visit to Muslim Madresa were viral in last two days on social media. A claim of AAP councilor that he managed to complete pending road work within 48 hours of getting elected and counterclaim that the claim was fake were also viral on social media.

But what AAP councilors did on Thursday at a public garden in Puna-Simada area was very much indicative of their style of functioning, we are going to witness now on. AAP councilors changed the sign board of Yogi Udhyan (Yogi Garden) over the gate of the garden in TP scheme number 68 (Puna – Simada) final plot number R/22. By installing a new sign board, AAP councilors changed the name of Yogi Udhyan to Patidar Garden. The color of the sign board was changed to green.

It’s worth noting that the garden belongs to Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). The Municipal Commissioner of SMC soon issues orders to restore the signboard. Accordingly, the AAP sign board naming the garden as ‘Patidar garden’ was removed and signboard with the name ‘Yogi Udhyan’ was restored. The Municipal Commissioner made it clear that the name of any public place can be given or changed by SMC after related resolution is passed in the Standing Committee. Without that one can not give name or change the name of places on whims.

As all AAP councilors have won from largely singular community living areas populated by Saurashtra origin Patidars (Patels) and they have won civic election with the help of former Patidar quota agitation group in a special arrangement, this was an attempt to exhibit the identity politics in pay back style to woo Patidar voters by touching the feel of Patidar supremacy, dominance and pride.

While most AAP candidates lost deposits elsewhere and the party couldn’t achieve much, 27 AAP councilors were elected to Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) in recently concluded six-city civic polls in special concealed arrangement with former Patidar quota stir agitators who were upset with Congress party over ticket allocation issues. However ruling BJP has got even more number of seats compared to last time in SMC election and newly elected body of BJP will soon start governing the city with AAP as main opposition party in SMC.