http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/inside-track-hardik-a-help-4996404/
Inside track: Hardik a help? With the fiery Patel youth leader supporting the Congress, anti-Patel OBC communities such as Thakors and Kolis voted in large numbers for the BJP Written by Coomi Kapoor | Updated: December 24, 2017 12:43 am Indian Express News In Picture, Hardik Patel (Express) Hardik a help? Did the alliance with Hardik Patel help or hinder the Congress campaign? The poll results suggest that the Patels were sharply divided. In fact, only two of the six Patel candidates endorsed by Hardik won. The Patels of Surat voted overwhelmingly for the BJP. The Patels of north Gujarat were divided between the two parties. It was only in Saurashtra that the Patels voted en bloc for the Congress. The whole of Saurashtra, not just the Patels, was against the ruling party because of the agrarian distress. In fact, Hardik succeeded in converting a campaign against incumbency into a caste battle. With the fiery Patel youth leader supporting the Congress, anti-Patel OBC communities such as Thakors and Kolis voted in large numbers for the BJP. Saurashtra’s Patels are so furious with their brethren in Surat for letting them down that they have vowed not to give their daughters in marriage to Surat Patels or carry prized gifts of ghee and butter milk (chaas) to Surat. Incidentally, it was Union Minister of State Mansukh Mandaviya who played a stellar role in bringing around the Patels of Surat. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
