With the Lok Sabha 2019 elections to be announced soon, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to score points and woo voters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, has been trying to make the right moves. At a programme organised by Levua Patel community in Adalaj, Ahmedabad, Modi touched the feet of former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel and hugged him onstage. Patel was flanked by businessman Karsanbhai Patel of the Nirma Group and Congress turncoat and former deputy chief minister Narhari Amin, among others.
The BJP has been desperately trying to woo the Patels, who constitute 14 per cent of the total electorate in Gujarat, back to its fold. On Monday, Modi took part in a programme organised by Kadva Patidars.
A large section of Patels (Patidars) in Gujarat were annoyed with the BJP ever since the Patidar agitation began in 2015. Headed by Hardik Patel, the agitators demanded OBC quota for the community in education and jobs. The ruling BJP also faced backlash during the elections to local self government bodies and Assembly election of 2017.
While the BJP clearly ruled out giving quota to the Patels by citing a Supreme Court directive that reservation can not exceed 49 per cent, the BJP did come out with a 10 per cent reservation for the economically weak from all sections of society.
If Modi's appearances at two events organised by Patels is being viewed as an attempt to woo the Patidar voters, by bowing down to Keshubhai, he is also trying to prove a point that his relations with the latter have been good. Modi has time and again done this, especially ever since Keshubhai was ousted as Gujarat chief minister in 2001 and Modi was brought in as replacement. Keshubhai's contribution in setting up the BJP in Gujarat has been immense. After his ouster, Keshubhai sulked for a few years and then set up Gujarat Parivartan Party in 2012. Politically, the party was a disaster and, it eventually and quite predictably merged with the BJP in 2014.
That the relationship between Keshubhai and Modi remained strained for years is an open secret. However, Modi has time and again tried “approaching” and going to the home of 'Keshubapa', as Kesubhai is fondly called. Tuesday marked one such more occasion.