Ahmedabad: Prime Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on Friday to address a tribal rally in Ahmedabad ahead of the assembly elections. The PM is scheduled to address the rally in Khudwel village in Navsari's Chikhali taluka which will primarily have indigenous people in attendance. With the PM's rally, the incumbent BJP government in Gujarat expects to consolidate the votes especially among the tribals amid the challenges of unemployment, inflation and a weak judicial system. The BJP won just 99 of the 182 seats in the recent assembly elections.
The BJP is said to have largely depended on the upper castes and is now eyeing the tribal vote share which has largely gone to the Congress' vote bank. This is also evident from the outcomes of the most recent assembly elections. Gujarat's tribal population is estimated to be approximately 15% accounting for 24 seats. The BJP is also addressing the issue of malnutrition among the community and has started a food program.
Political analyst Haresh Zala said the PM's rally is likelty to benefit the BJP in the upcoming elections. “In the Gujarat Assembly elections, the BJP might gain a direct advantage. There has been significant progress among tribal communities during the BJPs' tenure,” Zala said.
