(LiveMint)
Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Aandolan Samiti (PAAS) is all set to take the fight to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Gujarat elections as it plans to campaign against chief minister Vijay Rupani in areas traditionally known to be BJP strongholds. Patel is scheduled to hold 10 public meetings over the next fortnight in key Saurashtra areas including a mega public meeting in Rajkot on Wednesday, followed by stops in Morbi, Somnath, Junagadh, and Himmatnagar.
The announcement of the public meetings come days after PAAS formally announced its support to the Congress party and accepted its Patel reservation formula. Even though the organization maintains that the meetings will be held under the PAAS banner, Patel’s move could boost Congress’s chances in a direct contest with the BJP.
PAAS, which drew thousands of supporters, particularly youth, during the Patidar agitation for reservation in 2015, is working to make Wednesday’s rally a success. The public meeting, called ‘Mahakranti’ (great revolution), will take place in Rajkot (West), from where Rupani is contesting the Gujarat elections.
“We are going to call everyone who supports our cause, Congress and other political parties as well as social activists and community leaders to attend the meeting but it is a public meeting of Hardik Patel under PAAS,” said Manoj Panara, PAAS spokesperson and convener of Morbi district.
