The Hindu : National : Gujjars divided on support to BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 17, 2004

National

National

Gujjars divided on support to BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, APRIL 16 . Divisions have surfaced among Gujjars in Rajasthan over their support to the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, with a faction in the community announcing that it was convinced by the ruling party's promise to include Gujjars in the reserved category of Scheduled Tribes and the others opposing it.

Gujjars currently enjoy the reservation benefits as Other Backward Class (OBC). However, they have been agitating for shifting the community to the fold of Scheduled Tribe following the previous Congress regime's decision to accord the OBC status to Jats. Jats are believed to have carried away a major chunk of the quota benefits to the detriment of other sections in the category.

While Rajasthan Dev Sena Party and Veer Gujjar Mahasabha have announced their unconditional support to BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, the Rajasthan Dev Sena Dal and the Gujjar Reservation Action Committee have challenged the stand and accused the BJP of doing injustice to the community.

A section of the community feels that the political rhetoric would not bring any benefits to Gujjars and the ruling BJP should instead be asked to open more schools and hostels in the Gujjar-dominated areas, besides making recommendation to the Centre for providing the ST status to them.

The Dev Sena Party and Veer Gujjar Mahasabha leaders, Gyan Singh and Bhairon Singh, led a delegation which met the Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, here the other day and assured her of their support to BJP during the polls. A special mention of Ms. Raje's relationship with Gujjars through her son's marriage in a Gujjar family was made on the occasion.

However, the Dev Sena Dal and the Gujjar Reservation Action Committee have disputed the credentials of those extending support to BJP without first evolving a consensus within the community. "Gujjars voted overwhelmingly in favour of BJP during the Assembly elections but were let down by the party after it came to power,'' Sayar Dhabhai, president of Dev Sena Dal, said.

The section of leaders opposing the BJP points out that the BJP neither included any Gujjar in the State Cabinet nor gave ticket to any member of the community for the Lok Sabha polls. "The State Government's 100-day action plan has not benefited Gujjars in any manner,'' Hansram Gujjar, former MLA, told reporters here.

The Gujjar leaders affirm that there are about 30 lakh voters belonging to the community across the State and they wield influence in at least 20 of the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies. "Gujjars will punish the BJP for overlooking its promise for reservation made hundreds of times during Ms. Raje's Parivartan Yatra,'' Mr. Gujjar said.

The Dev Sena Dal, which has been registered as a political party, has also asked the Congress to clarify its stand on reservation to Gujjars by April 20, failing which it would meet the fate "similar to the Assembly election results''.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National