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HC verdict on EBC quota will add to BJP's misery in Gujarat

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Kamlesh Sutar
Kamlesh SutarAug 04, 2016 | 19:01

HC verdict on EBC quota will add to BJP's misery in Gujarat

Already grappling with Dalit unrest in the wake of the Una incident, the Gujarat High Court's verdict striking down the state's notification granting 10 per cent quota to economically backward classes (EBC) is a further setback for the BJP.

The exit of CM Anandiben Patel is primarily attributed to her failure to contain two anti-government agitations. First it was the Patidar protest and then the fallout of the Una incident last month, in which Dalit youth were flogged by the cow protection brigade.

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In both cases, anger was vented at the BJP government; both at the state and Centre.

Led by 22-year-old Hardik Patel, the Patidar community took to the streets to demand OBC (Other Backward Class) status.

With about 20 per cent of the state's population comprising the Patel community, it is a political vote bank that no party, especially the BJP, can choose to ignore.

So much is the dominance of the community in the corridors of powers that 40 of 120 BJP MLAs are from the Patidars, including the outgoing CM, Anandiben, and more than half-a-dozen ministers.

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CM Anandiben Patel's exit is primarily attributed to her failure to contain two anti-government agitations.

Already charged up, the Patels were angered by high-handed police action against agitators and the arrest of Hardik last year. This was followed by violence in Gujarat and subsequently Hardik was charged with sedition.

So, placating the community was a big task ahead of the assembly elections next year. The BJP had to face a major setback in the local elections held recently and it was seen as a direct result of the anger in the dominant Patidar community --- a core BJP vote bank.

In April this year, Gujarat announced a 10 per cent quota for all members of the economically backward classes, including those belonging to the upper caste.

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The announcement was seen as an outcome of the strong Patidar reservation stir, demanding inclusion in the list of OBC communities.

But now after a PIL, the high court has called the move "unconstitutional". Already doubts were raised about the notification from day one, as many believed it would not stand in court as it will violate the Supreme Court's cap of 50 per cent on reservations.

In Gujarat, OBCs get 27 per cent reservation, SCs get 7 per cent and STs get 15 per cent.

The high court verdict couldn't have come at a worse time. The second important issue worrying the BJP is the anger among Dalits in Gujarat. Images of Dalit youth being flogged in public for allegedly skinning a cow sent shockwaves across the country.

From Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to BSP supremo Mayawati, the BJP was targeted for being anti-Dalit. And it was all happening on the home turf of PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

In the middle of this, Anandiben quit citing age issues. In the crisis, the BJP saw an opportunity to placate the Patels. Already it had taken what it saw as a corrective step by announcing a 10 per cent EBC quota, now it is trying to find a suitable "Patel" replacement to Anandiben.

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The Patel factor is an important criterion and hence names of Patidar leaders like Nitin Patel or Purushottam Rupala are doing the rounds.

Amid the fire-fighting to control the large-scale angst after the Una flogging case, the BJP is trying to ease itself out of the two major crises it faced this year.

One of the steps to placate the agitating Patidars was the announcement of 10 per cent quota for upper castes based on economic background, but now even that's been struck down. The state will in all likelihood challenge the decision in the apex court, but the real battle will not be in the courts, it will play out on the political turf.

Last updated: August 04, 2016 | 19:01
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