OBC vote base BJP’s main target in Gujarat polls

NEW DELHI: The appointment of a commission headed by retired Delhi high court judge G Rohini to look at sub-categorisation of OBCs has again brought to the fore the clamour among political parties to woo this section, especially in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Gujarat where BJP is making all efforts to counter the challenge posed by agitations led by Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakor.

For BJP, the OBC votes and the demand for backward caste status from Patels has become a major issue in the Gujarat elections. Post demonetisation, BJP is also trying to widen its votebase beyond the business community and the Brahmins, and OBC support is high on its radar. Though it is not clear how much dent the Patel quota agitation led Hardik Patel will cause to the BJP, the party is leaving no stone unturned to rally its loyal vote bank behind it. Three public meetings of BJP chief Amit Shah were disrupted by Patel protestors in the last few days.

Hardik Patel, who had earlier joined the Shiv Sena, is now sending overtures to Congress. He had praised Rahul Gandhi during the latter’s visit to Gujarat last week. In its attempts to woo the OBCs, BJP has flaunted the backward caste credentials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It has also slammed the Congress for opposing its Bill to give constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Class in the Rajya Sabha. The formation of the commission headed by Justice (retired) G Rohini will give the BJP another talking point about its commitment to giving the benefits of reservation to those backward castes who deserve quota more than the dominant groups in the list. BJP sources said around 146 castes and sub-castes in Gujarat would fall in the backward category and the party’s noises on a re-look at the quota will help in wooing them. Patels, who constitute around 15% of the electorate in Gujarat, are well-off financially but the agitation led by Hardik Patel demanding that they be given OBC status has upset BJP calculations.

The removal of Anandiben Patel from the chief minister’s post and Nitin Patel being made a deputy CM has also reportedly not gone down well with the community. Thakor, whose Ekta Manch has fought for the rights of OBCs and Dalits, has also caused some concern in the BJP camp. Thakor had met Shah recently but it is not clear whether he will go with the Congress or the BJP or form his own front. Shah had addressed a OBC rally on September 18 in Kheda. He also flagged off a rally from Sardar Patel’s birth place Karamsad on October 1.

Though BJP appears to be in a position to win another term, the challenge posed by Congress this time is more impressive than ever in the last decade. Congress still has most of the KHAM— Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim—support base. With Modi now at the Centre this is the first Assembly poll to be fought by BJP without his direct leadership.