A'BAD: The BJP has ignored the Muslim vote by not fielding a single candidate belonging to the community in the Gujarat assembly election. The party, on the other hand, aims to woo the Christian community. It has given the ticket to one Christian candidate, and fielded two more with the support of the community.
This seat, which has been a stronghold of the Congress for 15 years, is in south Gujarat’s Vyara Assembly segment (Tapi district). Mohan Konkani, a Christian, is the BJP candidate from the segment that will go to vote on December 1.
The reserved ST constituency has a large presence of Christians. Congress’ Punaji Gamit, a Christian, has been winning the seat since 2007. Punaji Gamit says Christian voters will again support the Congress. Mohan Konkani initially tried to conceal his identity by claiming that the BJP did not give him the ticket because he is Christian but as he has worked for the party for a long time and held positions in the party organisation.
Konkani said people will vote for the BJP not on the basis of caste but because of the state’s development that has been carried out by the party. “I am the coordinating committee chairman of the Tapi district panchayat, ruled by the BJP, and I was the leader of opposition in the last district panchayat. I have been with the BJP since 1998, and for the past two decades, I have been the sarpanch of my native Kalamkui village,” said Konkani.
Christians make up an estimated 40% of the 2.23 lakh registered voters in Vyara, along with 88,000 Gamits, 67,000 Chaudhrys, and the 13,700 Konkanis. All three communities include Christians.