The ruling Congress on Wednesday got a shot in the arm after Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla announced that his community members would vote for the party in the December 1 Rajasthan Assembly polls, following Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's "promise of 5% quota" for them.
Bainsla, who met the Chief Minister at the latter's residence earlier on Wednesday, announced open "vote and support" for the Congress and said the party, if voted to power, would implement their long-standing demand of reservation.
It was the Congress government which provided one per cent quota out of five per cent to the Gujjar community and set up the Devnarayan Board giving financial and other benefits to Gujjars, hence they would vote for Congress candidates, he told a press conference in Jaipur.
The Gujjar community has 5 per cent vote share in the state.
Under Special Backward Class (SBC), Gujjar, Raika, Rebari and other caste have been given one per cent quota, and remaining four per cent would be expedited by the Congress government if voted to power, Bainsla said, quoting Gehlot.
Both Congress and opposition BJP have in their manifesto promised five per cent reservation to Gujjars and other communities under the Special Backward Class.
"After comparing achievements of both the governments with regard to the reservation issue, I took the decision to support Congress in the Assembly elections and I call upon all the members of the community to support the party," he said.
"We spoke to all political parties over the reservation issue and as a result of that, the parties gave more representation to the community and I am thankful for that," he said.
Bainsla, who lost the last Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket, said that he has no political affiliation now.
In the Assembly polls, Congress has fielded 12 Gujjar candidates whereas the BJP gave tickets to 10 Gujjar persons.
"I met Vasundhara Raje and demanded 4 to 5 tickets for the community people, but she denied saying that candidates had already been finalised," he said.
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