Lakhs converge for Patidar community rally

Surat, June 11 (UNI) Lakhs of people have converged in the city to attend the rally and public meeting organised by the Patidar Samaj to showcase their strength.

Many shops and diamond units were closed at Varachcha as part of the preparations for the meeting.

According to Jeevraj Bandukhwala, a member of the organising committee, around five lakh people will attend the rally to be held at the Bandukhwala College grounds. Police have made elaborate security arrangements to control the gathering and streamline the traffic in the city.

The meeting will honour important community figures like former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel, Union ministers Praful Patel and Dinshah Patel, former ministers like Urmilaben Patel, Narhari Amin and community leaders like A K Patel, Dhansukhbhai Godhani, Vitthal Raghadiya, Vallabhbhai Kachiriya and DhirUbhai Gajera.

Sources said members of the Patidar community have arrived from other parts of the state like Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Rajkot, Surendranagar and Porbander.

The meeting is expected to be a rallying point to gather anti-Narendra Modi factions in the ruling party and chart out plans for the coming election.

UNI