Earlier this yr, the announcement of a undertaking within the Union Funds—linking the rivers Par, Tapi and Narmada to supply water to the parched areas of Saurashtra and Kutch—stirred up a hornet’s nest within the tribal areas of south Gujarat. Following a sequence of protests by the tribals that finally reached Gandhinagar, the BJP authorities on the Centre was compelled to call-off the undertaking on the behest of state BJP chief CR Patil and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Main these rallies was Anant Patel, 45, a first-time Congress MLA from Vansda constituency of Navsari district in south Gujarat, and among the many youthful faces within the Gujarat Meeting. Coming from a household with no background in politics, Anant shouldn’t be solely extremely popular among the many tribals of south Gujarat, but in addition thought-about one of the distinguished tribal voices of opposition within the state Congress. On Friday, he was seen sharing the stage on the get together’s headquarters in Delhi within the firm of its nationwide management.
A local of Unai village underneath Vansda tehsil of Navsari, Anant is a college instructor by career. He did his masters in arts and bachelor in training from Veer Narmad South Gujarat College. Earlier than coming into public life, he used to run tuition lessons at Unai village.
However, pushed by the reason for tribal improvement, Anant forayed into politics in 2009, when he was elected sarpanch of Unai village. He stored climbing the political ladder, first as Congress taluka president in 2013, after which as president of Vansda Taluka Panchayat in 2015. In 2017, Congress nominated him from the Vansda constituency, and he gained the seat.
Anant can be chairman of Gujarat Congress’s Scheduled Tribe division. Thought of accessible and down-to-earth, Anant has arguably grow to be probably the most influential voice amongst tribals, in a area that has been thirsting for a frontrunner because the demise of former CM Amarsinh Chaudhary.
Due to his involvement in agitations and political activism, Anant has had a number of run-ins with the ruling dispensation. On October 8, he was attacked by a bunch of round 50 folks when he was going to Khergam village close by to lift consciousness a few march named Sangharsh Yatra he was planning, over points nagging tribal communities. Anant alleged he was attacked by the group on the behest of a neighborhood BJP chief. After sustaining a fracture in one in every of his ribs, which led to hospitalisation, Anant postponed the yatra and is now planning to hold it out after Diwali festivities.
On condition that tribals have been a constituency loyal to the Congress, the BJP launched its personal Gujarat Gaurav Yatra, whose main focus was the tribal belt—two legs of their yatra handed via the tribal belt stretching from south Gujarat to north Gujarat. Considerably, each these legs have been launched by Union dwelling minister Amit Shah from Unai village, dwelling to Anant. On Thursday, PM Narendra Modi selected Songadh, a tribal taluka in south Gujarat, to handle a public rally, the place he attacked the Congress for making “false guarantees” and “utilizing tribals for political acquire”. This is without doubt one of the areas the place Anant additionally wields loads of clout.
A political observer stated, “Anant has no household background in politics. However he has made fast strides within the south Gujarat area. BJP considers him a serious impediment in conquering the tribal belt, the place Congress is powerful.”