As political parties step up their activities for the coming Assembly poll in Gujarat with the BJP deploying a host of senior central leaders to mobilise support, particularly that of OBC and tribal sections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to visit the State on October 6 to give a boost to BJP's election campaign and strategy there.
In an election scenario where Patidar campaign under Hradik Patel has created Rs a wedgeRs between the BJP and Patel community , the BJP is pro-actively wooing the OBC chunk and the tribals in the State. Hardik's overtures to the Congress has led to the BJP leaders to work out a fresh caste combination to achieve its ambitious 152 seat target out of the total 182 in the Gujarat Assembly. The party has also sought to project PM's backward caste identity to win over numerically significant backward population in the State.
Prime Minister who has served as Chief Minister of Gujarat for 13 years would be campaigning in the State from October 6 to October 7th, according to the sources in the BJP.
BJP has deployed several senior leaders for managing poll campaign of Gujarat with Arun Jaitley as election-in-charge who is assisted with three other central ministers - Panchayat, rural development and sanitation Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of State for the Development of North Eastern Region, (Prime Minister Office) Jitendra Singh and Minister of State for law and justice P P Choudhary. Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhiryal 'Nishank' has been camping in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat for last fortnight.
Among the OBCs, the Kolis constitute about 20 per cent of Gujarat's population, followed by Patels, which form about 15 per cent of Gujarat populace, as per the 1931 Census. In 2015, Gujarat's economically and politically powerful Patel community demanded reservation in Government jobs and education. The agitation was led by 22-year-old Patel who campaigned against BJP's Gujarat Government. Patel's demand was opposed by the OBC leaders.
In the run up to the State elections, BJP President Amit Shah had on September 18 held a major meeting of OBCs at Fagavel in the Kheda district with a focus to win over OBCs and also to counter Patidar community agitation in the State.
The gathering was attended by about 146 OBC communities.
The sharp attention of political parties, particularly of the BJP, on OBC votes has further been highlighted by the appointment of a commission headed by retired Delhi high court judge G Rohini to look at Rs sub-categorisationRs of OBCs.
BJP had earlier sought to earn OBC's backing by slamming the Congress for opposing its Bill to give constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Class in the Rajya Sabha.