Today, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel conducted roadshows in her home town of Patan and Mahesana, in a Patidar dominating area, as part of her election campaign for the ruling BJP for the second phase of the local body polls. In the meeting she claimed that the people of her own community (Patidars) who had turned against her owing to the ‘reservation conspiracy’ of Congress party were now again coming back to the BJP fold. While addressing the meeting in Radhanpur of Patan district, CM who was facing ire of the Patidar reservation stir supporters for her stand on the issue, with a sentimental tone said, ‘ my own community has turned against me on the issue of reservation. Constitutional provisions does not permit government to increase or decrease the percentage of reservation to those who were getting it. Only the High Court or the Supreme Court is empowered to do it. If I try to make a change in the prevailing reservation system then It would be my turn to get in to jail. In fact the frustrated congress as part of a conspiracy, has made people of my community agitate for reservation. But now the Patidars have understood it and they were returning to our fold again.’ She alleged that the opposition party had earlier spread rumours of outsider thieves coming in various areas of the state like Kheda, Anand and rural Gandhinagar. ‘Fearful people had to remain wake up several nights but later they understood the whole scheme of the desperate congress to malign the image of the ruling BJP,’ she said.
