Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders have given the Congress a 24-hour deadline to declare its stand on granting reservation to the community.
PAAS leaders had flown to New Delhi on Friday to hold talks with Congress leaders on the issue, but they are reportedly unhappy.
PAAS convener Dinesh Bamania claimed that Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki initially had a brief meeting with them and told them that there would be a detailed meeting again after the Congress Central Election Committee’s meeting got over.
After the waiting, and after speaking to PAAS leader Hardik Patel, Mr. Bamania has reportedly given an ultimatum to the Congress to declare its stand on the reservation status within 24 hours or else face the PAAS’ opposition.
“However, even after the CEC meeting got over, they have not met us and Solanki is not picking up our calls. This is an insult to us,” he said.
The PAAS group has earlier made known its opposition to ed stance to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat in the coming elections.
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday said on Saturday that it would contest the Assembly elections in Gujarat next month in an alliance with the Congress to oust the 22-year-old BJP regime in the State.
NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar said the result of the Assembly polls will, “show people’s feelings and perception about the Central government’s performance”.
“The NCP has extended its full support to the Congress and will fight the Assembly polls [in Gujarat] in alliance with the Congress,” Mr. Anwar said in a press conference here, his Lok Sabha constituency.
The people of Gujarat are feeling disenchanted with the BJP government for the first time in 22 years and they want a change, he said.
Elections for Gujarat Assembly will be held out in two phases on December 9 and 14.
Mr. Anwar alleged that the Centre influenced the Election Commission (EC) to declare the poll dates of Gujarat separately, and not along with that of Himachal Pradesh, so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could make some announcements there.
To a query on the reported phenomenal growth of a company of Jay Shah, son of BJP chief Amit Shah, the Katihar MP said the way the entire government and party machinery stood up in his support proved that they were trying to “protect” Amit Shah.
