Rahul Gandhi receives huge response from Patidar community, hits out at Modi in Gujarat

A day after Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader Hardik Patel welcomed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in poll-bound Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi hit the campaign trail in the Patel heartland on the second day of his Navsarjan Yatra.

Addressing the Patidar community, Rahul Gandhi reminded them that it was the BJP government that had ordered firing on them.

Taking a dig at BJP governments in the state and at the Centre, Rahul Gandhi said if the Congress was voted to power in the state, his party's government would function from Gujarat and not on orders from Delhi. Gandhi is slated to visit several villages and towns such as Dhrol and Tankara that have sizeable Patel populations.

The popular face of the Patel stir in Gujarat, Hardik Patel, had earlier hinted that he might consider supporting the Congress in the Assembly polls with the aim of getting reservation for the community.

A senior leader of the Gujarat Congress had told National Herald a few months back that the Congress might consider sharing seats with the Patel leader.

While attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over issues like currency ban, GST, farm policies in his home turf, Rahul Gandhi expressed confidence about winning the upcoming Assembly elections. He claimed that there was a strong undercurrent in favour of the Congress in Gujarat and the people regretted having voted for the BJP.

Gujarat observers feel that support of the Patel community for Rahul Gandhi is beyond expectations. “Clearly, Rahul has made the right noise,’’ said an observer. A nervous BJP is said to have planned counter strategies to minimise the ‘Rahul Gandhi effect’ over the community. But inputs from the ground suggest that Gujarat, referred to as “laboratory of Hindutva” may just reject the saffron party.

Amid high-pitched sloganeering, Rahul Gandhi received a huge and warm welcome in Jamnagar. Locals raised slogans like “Jai Patidar, Jai Sardar” during his speech.

A senior journalist, covering Gujarat for over 10 years, told National Herald on the condition of anonymity that Rahul Gandhi has rejuvenated hopes for the Congress in Gujarat.“His connect with the people is amazing. When Rahul Gandhi asked ‘Vikas ko kya hua hai (What has happened to the development)”, people replied in anger that ‘Vikas pagal ho gaya hai (development has gone crazy)’,” he said.

“The Patels are the most influential community in Gujarat, around 18 per cent of the total population. Although a chunk of them will stick to the BJP but a division of the Patel vote will certainly benefit the Congress,” he added.

With inputs from PTI