Ahmedabad: Hours after Congress released its first list of 77 candidates on Sinday for the upcoming Gujarat elections, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) association protested in various states resulting in agitation in few places against Congress’s decision claiming they were not given proper representation.
PAAS had earlier demanded 20 tickets in the upcoming election but only two tickets were given to its PAAS members – Lalit Vasoya and Amit Thummar.
#WATCH Surat: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers clash with Congress workers over ticket distribution (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/uz5fx9oXIc
— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017
Vasoya got the ticket for Dhoraji while Thummar got for Junagadh seat. The PAAS members staged a protest in Surat sloganeering against Congress.
Surat city PAAS convenor Dharmik Malaviya reportedly told the media, “Our community members have not been given proper representation in the list that has been declared. We will not allow any Congress office to function in the state.”
PAAS convenor Dinesh Bhambania visited Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki in Ahmedabad to represent their case.
#WATCH: Miffed over ticket distribution, PAAS leader Dinesh Patel earlier today said will oppose Congress if our concerns are not addressed pic.twitter.com/ly7RQqIM8c
— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017
“We will organise protest in front of every office of the Congress across the state. Bharatsinh Solanki should talk to us,” he said.
PAAS convenor Alpesh Kathiria speaking on the issue said, “The Congress has given tickets to two of our members without taking us into confidence. Other Patel candidates that they have selected are bogus. We will hold massive protests against Congress tomorrow (Monday).”
Alleging that Police has been threatening the Patidar community, PAAS leader Dinesh Patel said,
“We’ll ask our party candidates to not file a nomination. If they still do, we’ll protest against them also.”
He added, “Police personnel are arresting us under the influence and out of uniform too. They want to kill us. Our life is under threat.”
The PAAS members held a meeting with the Congress leaders on Sunday and settled their issues. The meeting was led by Bhambania and Kahiria.
Earlier Patidar leader Hardik Patel demanded allotting of Government jobs and reservation to his community in order to give his support to Congress in the Gujarat Assembly Polls.