Rahul Gandhi's calls to Sharad Yadav sealed Congress-Vasava deal in Gujarat

It was two phone calls made by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to rebel Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav that sealed the deal between the Congress and Chhotubhai Vasava’s Bhartiya Tribal Party for Gujarat assembly polls days after wrangling.

The deal was finally done this week but not without tantrums and a fair amount of troubleshooting.

Sources say that Congress, which was looking at Vasava, working state President of Sharad Yadav-led faction of JDU as a natural ally in Gujarat assembly polls after the latter’ decisive vote tilted the scale in favour of its veteran Ahmed Patel in Rajya Sabha elections in August, was in for a rude shock as Vasava made a demand for 25 seats.

For Congress, a tie-up with Vasava, a consecutive six-term MLA from Jhagadia assembly seat in Bharuch, the home town of Ahmed Patel, was important as Vasava exercised considerable influence on tribal votes even beyond Jhagadia.

Congress, which had earlier offered up to three seats to Vasava was baffled as Vasava demanded 25 seats, saying that the influence of his Bhilistan Sena and Bhartiya Tribal Party spreads across East Gujarat.

Leaders from Vasava camp had, however, indicated that he would settle for 15 seats. That was also too much for Congress to share.

Congress general secretary in-charge for Gujarat Ashok Gehlot and Congress Gujarat chief Bharat Singh Solanki had already met Sharad Yadav twice in last fortnight. 

Yadav was also asked to find time for campaign and accordingly, Yadav will be campaigning in the state from December 4 to December 7. Besides other regions, the rebel JDU leader will also be campaigning in Dwarka-Jamnagar belt, where Yadav community is in significant number.

However, as the seat sharing with Vasava remained inconclusive, Rahul called up Yadav twice asking him to speak to Vasava to ensure that some “reasonable” demand is made from the tribal leader.

As the undivided JDU for last many years was contesting only around five seats recently, finally  a deal was struck with Congress agreeing to give the Bhartiya Tribal Party the seats of Jhagadia, Dediapada, Mangrol, Morva Hadaf and Waghodia, all of which are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.

Besides, the Vasava's close aide Anil Bhagat, who is an office bearer in rebel JDU faction of Sharad Yadav has been offered the Congress ticket from Ankleshwar.

There has also been an agreement to field another candidate from Vasava’s party Karni Bhaai from Rajkot East but Congress later declared Mithul Donga as its candidate. These seven seats were earlier supposed to go to Vasava’s party.

Congress MLA from Rajkot East Indranil Rajguru has been shifted this time to Rajkot West to take on BJP’s Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Vasava’s party is contesting the election on party symbol auto rickshaw. This was decided after Election Commission decided to recognise Nitish Kumar faction’s claim on Janata Dal United and allotted him the party symbol arrow.

Vasava, who is an MLA from Jhagadia in Bharuch had tilted the balance in favour of Congress veteran Ahmed Patel by voting in his favour in the high-pitched Rajya Sabha elections concluded sometime back.

The tribal belt that spreads along Gujarat's eastern border from Dangs in deep South to Banaskantha in the North had earlier been a Congress strong hold but the BJP has made deep inroads in it last few years with sustained efforts by the ruling party as well its mentor RSS to reach out to tribals.

Congress had won 16 out of 27 of tribal seats in this region in 2012 assembly polls. Even at the height of post Gohdra polarisation in 2002, BJP could only win 13 of the 26 seats before delimitation.

In the last Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won all 26 Lok Sabha seats from the state including the ones in tribal-dominated area as Prime Minister Narendra Modi juggernaut rolled out. 

Nitish' arrow to hit Vasava-Congress alliance

Meanwhile Nitish Kumar’s JDU will be fielding candidates in 50 seats, a move which according to Sharad camp is expected to benefit the BJP.

The Sharad camp also cites that JDU has fielded another candidate named Chhotubhai in Jhagadia, where Chhotubhai Vasava is contesting to spread confusion.

JDU general secretary K C Tyagi, however, said “we are not fighting Guajrat elections to ensure anyone’s victory or defeat. We have been fighting in Gujarat separately for long even when George Fernades and Sharad Yadav were President of the JDU. We did not fight in alliance in Gujarat earlier also. Earlier also we fought over 50 candidates.”

He, nevertheless, recalled Nitish Kumar was the first to support Hardik Patel wand also alleged that Congress has “betrayed Paatidaars” by giving them just a few tickets.

“We have people lining up JDU for ticket in Gujarat. We are fighting this election to expand our party organisation and meet the demands of party workers. A dozen Bihar Cabinet Ministers will campaign there,” Tyagi said.