Patidar & tribal outreach, populist steps, cadre drills show Gujarat BJP in poll mode
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Sardardham Bhavan in Ahmedabad and carried out the Bhumi Pujan for a girl’s hostel for Sardardham Phase-2 on September 11, hours before Vijay Rupani put in his papers as chief minister. Last week, the Prime Minister virtually carried out the Bhumi Pujan for a hostel constructed by the Saurashtra Patel Seva Samaj in Surat. In between, Bhupendra Patel was anointed the chief minister of the state. While the PM’s participation in development projects in his home state has largely been a routine affair, the sequence of events underlined the importance the BJP is laying on placating the powerful Patidar community, which has been restive for a while, particularly in the diamond hub of Surat. The community’s disaffection with the BJP has allowed the debutant Aam Aadmi Party to expand its base in the state considerably, albeit at the cost of opposition Congress.
The BJP also has actively started reaching out to the state’s tribal population, who form roughly 15% of the electorate. While 27 of Gujarat’s 182 assembly seats are reserved for the tribal community, they also play a crucial role in several other constituencies. While the BJP has successfully made inroads to the segment, it is now consolidating its position. Last week, state tourism and pilgrimage development minister Purnesh Modi announced that every tribal person from Gujarat travelling to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will be eligible for a cash assistance of ‘5,000.
( News Source :Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Rashtra News staff and is published from a economictimes.indiatimes.com feed.)
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