New Delhi: The Congress may hope to upset the BJP in Gujarat with a rainbow coalition of different castes, but the saffron party believes that the move will backfire and end up boosting its prospects.
BJP leaders, who are part of their party’s Gujarat Assembly poll campaign, said the Congress’s strategy to bring OBCs and Patidars, two groups accounting for more than half of the state’s voters, under its banner is full of contradictions as the two communities have competing interests and ambitions.
Patidar leader Hardik Patel’s warning to the Congress to commit itself to his community’s quota demand by November 3 or face dire consequences, is being seen by the BJP as a clear sign of these contradictions. Patidars have been the lynchpin of the BJP’s support and its leaders, who did not wish to be named, insisted that a majority of them will continue to back it despite a sense of unrest among a section of the community against the party.
