BJP attempts to reconcile with Patidars through Modi's Gujarat visit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, in a bid to woo the Patidar community before the next Gujarat Assembly polls, launched a multi-specialty hospital in Atkot village of Rajkot. Rajkot is the heart of the Saurashtra region, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been facing electoral challenges since the Patidar reservation protests in 2015.
- Patidar Patels have been a major driving force behind the BJP's rise to power in Gujarat and continued dominance since 1998.
- They hold a significant number of seats in the 182-seat Assembly—with nine in Saurashtra, three in north Gujarat, and four in Surat.
- Besides, Patels play a significant role in nearly 55 seats in Gujarat and are considered important fund managers in electoral politics.
"When people's efforts connect with government's efforts, our strength to serve increases. This modern hospital in Rajkot is a major example of this," PM Modi stated shortly after the inauguration of the hospital. The Shree Patel Seva Samaj Trust (SPSST), a Patidar-led charitable trust, built the 200-bed KD Parvadiya Multispeciality Hospital at a cost of Rs. 50 crore.
The BJP's top leadership is doing everything possible, including appointing a Patel chief minister and establishing a new ministry last year, to re-engage Patidars who were disillusioned with the party prior to the 2017 elections as a result of Hardik Patel's quota agitation. Notably, Patel left the Congress party last week and has stated that he is open to joining the BJP.
While outlining the BJP-led central government's achievements over the last eight years, Modi said on Saturday the party has been working on building the kind of India that Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel envisioned. Modi stated the Centre strives to help the poor and unemployed, especially during times of crisis. He also described how Gujarat's culture and values inspired him to serve the nation.
"I have left no stone unturned in the service of the motherland because of the values and education I have received here. The people of Gujarat taught me how to live for society," the PM stated.
Later on Saturday, at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Modi will also address the "Sahakar Se Samriddhi" conference of leaders from several cooperative institutions. According to an official statement, over 7,000 delegates from various state cooperative institutions will attend the event. He will also launch a Nano Urea (Liquid) Plant constructed at IFFCO, Kalo, to enhance farmers' productivity.
The Patidar community also wields considerable power in cooperatives, which are largely jointly owned businesses in which members split profits or benefits. According to reports, at least one-third of the eligible voters in Gujarat are directly or indirectly linked to Gujarat's approximately 84,000 cooperatives, which cover industries such as dairy and livestock, agriculture, fisheries, consumer, irrigation, and co-operative banks.
