After the BJP's two decades of success run, with the Patidar community in Saurashtra giving them the muscle to enjoy power.
The appointment of RC Faldu as new state BJP president brings out one of the oldest nuances of Gujarat politics - he is a Leuva Patel. With this appointment, Modi has extended an olive branch to the Patidar community of Saurashtra, which had turned against BJP in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
Saurashtra's political history is dotted with either the party in power completely ignoring the Patidars — like Congress, or totally in cahoots with them — as did the BJP to take over the Congress.
After the BJP's two decades of success run, with the Patidar community in Saurashtra giving them the muscle to enjoy power, Congress decided they have had enough of ignoring the influential community and decided to cosy up to them.
With focused public meetings to woo Patel community leaders by projecting some of their own - Siddharth Patel, Narhari Amin & Dinsha Patel - the move worked for the Congress. It snatched BJP's 21-year-old bastion Rajkot. Congress's moves were fuelled by disgruntled and sidelined senior leader Keshubhai Patel, also a Leuva Patel, who did not clearly support Modi. The chief minister on his part refused to budge and contested the elections without their stated support. And the loss was felt.
But Congress's triumph was short-lived as it made sever mistakes in allotting candidature for its candidates in the Saruashtra region. The Grand Old party of the country resorted to dynastic politics, reneging on promises made to the Patel community during elections. "It was promised that Kunwarji Bawaliya's election in-charge, Bharat Boghara, a Leuva Patel, would be contesting in the next elections. But when by-elections were conducted in Jasdan, his daughter Bhavana - a complete political novice - was fielded,' a source in Congress in Saurashtra said.
Bhavana lost, Boghara won Jasdan seat for the BJP after 50 years. And ripples were felt all through Saurashtra. Congress's vote share was third in Chotila re-election last month.
Modi is quick to learn. Those close to Modi stated that he had realized that political marginalisation of Keshubapa was giving a wrong message to the entire community, which might cost him dear. It was speculated that after the election results he will cozy up to Keshubapa and soon enough, he started wooing the Leuva Patel community.
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