The leader of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch Jignesh Mevani announced he would be contesting in the Gujarat Assembly Elections from the Vadgam Constituency. The Dalit leader plans to stand for election as an independent candidate.
Mevani plans to fill the nomination papers today for the reserved Scheduled Castes seat. The Vadgam Constituency will see a three cornered fight between Mevani, the BJP candidate Vijaybhai Harkabhai Chakravarti and the Congress candidate Manibhai Vaghela for the reserved seat.
Earlier, speculations suggested Mevani was planning to join the Congress party. Mevani met with Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi triggering rumors of him joining the party. Mevani dismissed these speculations and said he was concentrating on overthrowing the arrogant BJP party.
Jignesh Mevani is attacking the BJP on issues related to lack of job creation and attacks on minority communities by self styled cow vigilantes.
Mevani was quoted saying, “The SC (Scheduled Castes) Community is heavily discontented with the BJP Government. It is a hypocritical Government. They even discriminate against Dalit martyrs like Kishore Vanavi. The BJP had promised Rs. 4 lakh to his family but they have not given anything to them. They are not even ready to have discussion regarding our issues which we have been asking for one and a half years.”
Initially, Mevani planned to meet Rahul Gandhi to see where the Congress stands on the Dalit leader’s 17 demands. But Mevani contesting in the elections shows the Congress did not meet the Dalit leader’s expectations.
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