Sadhna, wife of one of the leaders of Patel agitation, is contesting the civic elections from Anandiben's assembly constituency of Ghatlodia as a Congress candidate.
Anandiben Patel, chief minister of Gujarat, faces another big political test, this time in civic elections to be held this weekend, in which two women from her Patel community are contesting as Congress candidates.
Sadhna Patel and Rekha Patel are married to leaders of the Patel agitation for reservation in Gujarat; their husbands are
close aides of 22-year-old politician Hardik Patel and both are in jail on charges of sedition. They were arrested along with Hardik, who is the face of the Patel agitation, and has been in prison since about a month.
Some other leaders of the campaign are contesting the municipal elections as independent candidates.
The Patels - a wealthy and politically powerful community that constitutes about 16 per cent of the electorate in Gujarat - have long been considered a strong BJP support base and there is worry in the state's ruling party that so many are now working to defeat it.
Sadhna, the wife of Amrish Patel is contesting the civic elections from Anandiben's assembly constituency of Ghatlodia as a Congress candidate. Not long ago, both Amrish and Sadhna were die-hard BJP workers and she describes her cross-over to the rival party as "revenge."
"The government has unleashed a rein of terror on our Patidar community...now the Patidar women have come out to take revenge politically,'' said Sadhna.
The Congress has also fielded Rekha, the wife of key Hardik aide Nilesh Patel in Saurashtra.
Elections will be held for six municipal corporations - Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar - on Sunday. An adverse result for the BJP could have a major impact on the political future of the Chief Minister, who was handpicked by Prime MInister Narendra Modi as his successor in Gujarat when he moved to the Centre last year.
The Patels are demanding that either they be added to the list of castes that get the benefit of reservation in government jobs and colleges, or then quota abolished in the state. Hardik Patel has warned the BJP repeatedly that if the party's government does not meet its demand, the Patels will work to ensure its defeat in elections.
Chief minister Anandiben alleges a Congress gameplan and asserted recently, "Everyone knows a decimated Congress has instigated some misguided youths..but every section of the society is with us.''
But during a road show in Ahmedabad, she skipped some Patel strongholds fearing protests.