AHMEDABAD: “We did make a huge impact in the district and taluka panchayats, but in Viramgam, we could not prevent the Saffron brigade from getting a majority,“ says Bharat Patel, the father of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convener Hardik Patel. The Patels in Viramgam couldn't make an appreciable impact as BJP won 17 seats of the 36 seats in the municipality while the Congress won 15 and independents won 3. Even the ta luka panchayat poll had a photo fi nish, as both BJP and Congress ma naged to 10 seats each in the 20member body.

Hardik's father said: “We were sure there wouldn't be any impact in Viramgam as Patel make up only 5,000 of the 80,000 total population here. In Ward No.2, where we live, there are only 190-odd Patidar votes. However, we crushed the lotus in the district panchayat and taluka panchayat. This should be an eye opener for the BJP,“ he said.

There was a close finish in the Ahmedabad district panchayat, with the BJP losing power to Congress by just two seats. In the 34member district panchayat, the BJP got 16 while Congress got 18.Even in the taluka panchayats in Ahmedabad, the BJP managed to comfortably win Sanand taluka panchayat and there were ties in one or two talukas.