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Muslim members of the Congress’ minority cell have joined the BJP’s Gujarat unit, a day after Rahul Gandhi announced that his party would trounce the ruling dispensation across India, and State leader Shankersinh Vaghela revealed they were eyeing a win in 108 out of the 182 Assembly seats that will go to the polls later this year.
BJP sources claimed that about 2,000 Muslim members of the Congress Minority Cell deserted it to join the ruling party. But Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) spokesman Manish Doshi denied the development, telling BusinessLine that this was only a tactic of the BJP’s to demoralise his party’s workers.
Reports said the Muslims joined the BJP at the first meeting of its Minority Cell held at Dahegam in Gandhinagar district. Those who joined the BJP include the sarpanches of two villages lying adjacent to Ahmed Patel’s home village of Piraman. Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP, is Political Secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. The sarpanchs accused the Congress of using Muslims for their own political benefit, and said they joined the BJP because of their “faith” in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies.
The Muslims joined the BJP in the presence of Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani and the BJP Minority Cell President Mehboob Ali Chishti. According to Chishti, the BJP was now targeting all 17 Assembly seats won by the Congress due to the presence of decisive Muslim votes.
Meanwhile, in Surat, about 200 Patidars, claiming to be members of Sardar Patel Group (SPG), joined the BJP at an event. The SPG, too, has denied the exodus from its ranks. Ever since the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) launched a pro-quota agitation in July 2015, the Patidars had turned into a strong anti-BJP platform. PAAS and SPG have been the main spearheads of this agitation.
On Monday, prior to Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Dediapada in Narmada district, Leader of the Opposition Vaghela had announced the party’s target of winning at least 108 Assembly seats vis-à-vis the BJP’s target of 150-plus seats.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat Assembly will meet for a special session on May 9 to pass the GST Bill. Reports suggested that the Congress might appoint its MLA Paresh Dhanani to succeed Vaghela as the new Leader of the Opposition, just about six months ago before Assembly polls are due. Dhanani is a senior Patidar leader. Vaghela is likely to be asked to head the Congress’ election campaign.
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