Gujarat might see Congress-led alliance

New Delhi: Ahead of the Assembly polls, Gujarat might see a Congress-led “secular” alliance on the lines which won the Bihar state elections. Sources said that senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel is holding parleys with various parties, including the Sharad Yadav faction of the Janata Dal (United), as well as Left parties which have a clout in certain areas of the state. Although Patidar leader Hardik Patel would be a part of any such alliance, it was unlikely that he would join it officially as the Congress and other parties were jittery of rubbing their dalit and tribal vote bank the wrong way.

Sources also told this newspaper that the Aam Aadmi Party was unlikely to be part of such an alliance.

“We will ally with the Congress and also other parties like the Left. We will also try to have a tie-up with Hardik Patel,” newly-appointed president of the Sharad Yadav faction of the Janata Dal (United) Chotubhai Vasava on Monday said.

Mr Vasava, who was appointed as the JD(U) president on Sunday, effectively removing Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar from the position, claimed that his party was in talks with the Congress and Left parties as well as the Hardik Patel-led Patidar outfit for an electoral alliance ahead of the Gujarat polls.

Sources told this newspaper that both Mr Yadav and Mr Vasava met senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Sunday and discussed the contours of an alliance.

Significantly, Mr Vasava’s vote is said to have been the deciding factor which clinched the tightly contested Rajya Sabha elections in favour of Mr Patel. However, the Aam Aadmi Party was unlikely to be a part of the alliance as the Congress was not in favour of it.

Mr Vasava. a six-time Gujarat MLA, who enjoys considerable clout in the tribal region of Gujarat said the twin BJP programmes of demonetisation and the flawed implementation of the Goods and Services Tax destroyed the economy. He added that the BJP was at its lowest ebb electorally in Gujarat and in the coming elections it would be defeated.

Mr Vasava also claimed that the Sardar Sarovar Dam inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday would not be of much help to the common man.

Both Mr Yadav and Mr Vasava rebelled when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar decided to walk out of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ which comprised of the Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress.

Mr Yadav who claims the real Janata Dal (United) is with him, held a parallel national convention of the party in the capital on Sunday which he said was the “bonafide” National Council of the Janata Dal (United).

Though the senior leader has the support of many of the state unites, all the 71 MLAs of Bihar have sided with Mr Kumar. The former is also holding ‘Sanjha Virasat’ conclaves across the country and has been appointed the convener of an Opposition alliance against the Modi government.