Gujarat polls: Deal finalised between Congress and Sharad-led JD(U) faction

Hailing it as a battle between democratic and fascist-communal forces, the leader of the rebel faction of the JD(U), Sharad Yadav, said that the Gujarat election would decide the fate of Indian politics as well as the future of the Congress party.

Yadav was addressing a press conference at his residence in New Delhi on Saturday. He said that the alliance between Congress and JD(U) had been finalised. However, he refused to divulge the seat-sharing arrangement with Congress.

Yadav said that his candidates would not fight the elections on Congress’ symbol, but an autorickshaw .

“The announcement on seat sharing will be made by the Congress party. Since Congress is in the driver’s seat, the modalities will be finalised by them,” he said, adding that all opposition parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), will fight together to defeat BJP in their home turf.

Yadav reckoned the Election Commission’s order in which the Nitish Kumar-led faction was recognized as one entitled to use 'arrow' poll symbol was “unjustified.”

“We are mulling legal action over the symbol row. We may file a case in the high court. We are waiting for a complete copy of the order,” he added.

Lone JD(U) MLA from Gujarat, Chotubhai Vasava, was also present when the seat-sharing arrangment with Congress was being worked out.

Confirming Yadav’s claim, AICC general secretary in-charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot, told media that discussion on almost all the seats was over.

“We have held discussions on all 182 seats. Since we are forming an alliance, we may have to leave some seats. We were talking to the JD-U (faction led by Sharad Yadav) and NCP, and the list will be released soon,” he was quoted as saying by the news agency IANS.

Apart from JD(U) and NCP, Congress has held seat sharing negotiations with Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).

At the time of writing, it was being reported that top PASS leaders had come to Delhi to have a final word with Congress. PAAS had given a 24-hour deadline to Congress to clear its stand on reservation. IANS reported that PAAS leader Dinesh Bambhania, Lalit Vasoya, Manoj Panara, Kiritbhai Patel, convenors of the group, were in Delhi for the meeting.

The Other Backward Caste (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakore also attended the meeting, sources said. Congress is believed to have agreed to let Alpesh Thakore have a say in candidate selection in the Thakore-dominated seats of north Gujarat.

Alpesh Thakore had joined Congress after a projecting a show of strength in Gandhinagar last month, at which Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi welcomed him into the party.

On Friday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared its list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat elections. The last day for filing of nominations is November 21 for the first phase of the state assembly elections.

Aam Aadmi Party announced its second list of candidates for the polls on Thursday. AAP has so far declared 20 candidates for the elections.

(With inputs from IANS )