Jasdan/Rajkot, Dec 4: At a time when election fever has gripped entire Gujarat, the farmers
community in Rajkot district’s Jasdan Assembly constituency is comparatively
cool, busy only in selling their cash-crop produce.
Jasdan, one the most backward areas in Gujarat, falls under
the Saurashtra region. The area has no fertile land and it also lacks
irrigation and drinking water facilities.
Saurashtra is the stronghold of BJP but Jasdan is the only assembly seat, where the Congress has had an upper hand since Independence. The Saffron party has been able to wrest the seat only once in 2009 bypoll.
This assembly segment is known for the productions of groundnuts and cotton. The groundnuts crop is ready and the farmers are trying to get a better price for their crops.
Crop growers from Baankia, Kanslolia, Khambala and Vankia are happy as they have got a minimum support price of Rs 4,500 for per quintal of groundnuts. However, some of farmers, from the same areas who have failed to organise themselves into a cooperative group are in distress as they have not been able to receive the MSP for their products.
There are many marginalized farmers whose agriculture is based on rain in this hilly region of central Kaathiwada.
A total of 15 candidates are in the fray for the drought-ridden Jasdan constituency. Kunvarji Bavaliya and Bharatbhai Boghra are contesting on the Congress and the BJP tickets, respectively.
Mr Bavaliya is a seasoned politician and has been winning the election since 1995 from the same seat. He had to vacate the seat in 2009 after being elected to the 15th Lok Sabha election from the Rajkot seat. In 2009 bypoll, BJP’s Bharatbhai Boghra won but in 2012 he lost the election to Bholabhai Gohel.
The constituency which faces the acute shortage of drinking water in summer, is dominated by Koli caste and generally they vote for their caste candidate. The Congress has fielded its candidate from the same caste while the BJP is banking upon candidate from the Patidar community.
In a strength of over 2.28 lakh voters assembly segment, over one lakh voters belong to Koli caste . The Koli people are of the view that issues pertaining to malnutrition, unemployment among others are there but having a representative from their caste had benefited the village as they started getting 10 hours power for agriculture.
According to the Reliance Foundation’s survey, “Around 20 per cent of people in Jasdan were shifted to diamond cutting work while 15 per cent had adopted handicraft work, after failing in agriculture.”
In 1980s-90s, the government had constructed check-dam for water conservation but with passage of times, all of them got collapsed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed the public gatherings twice in the area and said there was a BJP wave in the state. The BJP has trying hard to project its developmental work,including the planned bullet train, to the electorate.
However, the political observers in the constituency said there is low turnout in Mr Modi’s rally this time as compared to the one in the last elections rally.
The region has seen a massive increase in energy generation through windmill but cleanliness is still an issue.
Despite a huge success of Ujjwala Yojna --- scheme to provide free LPG connection to BPL families throughout the country, the local ladies are still depending on fossil fuels for cooking.
The polling in Jasdan will be held in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections on December 9. It would be interesting to see whether the Congress would be able to retain the seat or the BJP would create the history. UNI
Saurashtra is the stronghold of BJP but Jasdan is the only assembly seat, where the Congress has had an upper hand since Independence. The Saffron party has been able to wrest the seat only once in 2009 bypoll.
This assembly segment is known for the productions of groundnuts and cotton. The groundnuts crop is ready and the farmers are trying to get a better price for their crops.
Crop growers from Baankia, Kanslolia, Khambala and Vankia are happy as they have got a minimum support price of Rs 4,500 for per quintal of groundnuts. However, some of farmers, from the same areas who have failed to organise themselves into a cooperative group are in distress as they have not been able to receive the MSP for their products.
There are many marginalized farmers whose agriculture is based on rain in this hilly region of central Kaathiwada.
A total of 15 candidates are in the fray for the drought-ridden Jasdan constituency. Kunvarji Bavaliya and Bharatbhai Boghra are contesting on the Congress and the BJP tickets, respectively.
Mr Bavaliya is a seasoned politician and has been winning the election since 1995 from the same seat. He had to vacate the seat in 2009 after being elected to the 15th Lok Sabha election from the Rajkot seat. In 2009 bypoll, BJP’s Bharatbhai Boghra won but in 2012 he lost the election to Bholabhai Gohel.
The constituency which faces the acute shortage of drinking water in summer, is dominated by Koli caste and generally they vote for their caste candidate. The Congress has fielded its candidate from the same caste while the BJP is banking upon candidate from the Patidar community.
In a strength of over 2.28 lakh voters assembly segment, over one lakh voters belong to Koli caste . The Koli people are of the view that issues pertaining to malnutrition, unemployment among others are there but having a representative from their caste had benefited the village as they started getting 10 hours power for agriculture.
According to the Reliance Foundation’s survey, “Around 20 per cent of people in Jasdan were shifted to diamond cutting work while 15 per cent had adopted handicraft work, after failing in agriculture.”
In 1980s-90s, the government had constructed check-dam for water conservation but with passage of times, all of them got collapsed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed the public gatherings twice in the area and said there was a BJP wave in the state. The BJP has trying hard to project its developmental work,including the planned bullet train, to the electorate.
However, the political observers in the constituency said there is low turnout in Mr Modi’s rally this time as compared to the one in the last elections rally.
The region has seen a massive increase in energy generation through windmill but cleanliness is still an issue.
Despite a huge success of Ujjwala Yojna --- scheme to provide free LPG connection to BPL families throughout the country, the local ladies are still depending on fossil fuels for cooking.
The polling in Jasdan will be held in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections on December 9. It would be interesting to see whether the Congress would be able to retain the seat or the BJP would create the history. UNI
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