Can one crore NRGs sway six crore Gujaratis for BJP?

The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intends to woo the six crore Gujaratis living in the state through the one crore non-resident Gujaratis (NRGs) who live abroad.

The party has plans to rope in some prominent NRGs to influence local Gujarat families, relatives and their close friends. Some leaders of the state BJP will be going abroad next month to take part in the executive body meeting of the Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFB) in the US.

The Gujarati diaspora comprises people of Gujarati origin living in the US, Canada, Australia, UK, New Zealand, the African countries, the Middle East and other parts of the world.

BJP leaders believe that NRGs can influence their relatives in the state and thus help the party get their votes in the next polls. The OFB is itself the brainchild of the BJP and has been canvassing abroad for the party.

“I and a couple of other BJP leaders will go to the US to take part in the three-day executive body meeting of the OFB that starts from September 13,” said a BJP leader on the condition of anonymity.

“We intend to inform the NRGs about the development work done by the Narendra Modi government and how Gujarat has changed over the last 10 years. We are confident NRGs will be convinced and persuade their families, friends, relatives and associates in Gujarat to vote for the BJP,” the leader added.

The OFB has been working for the BJP for quite a few years and has also organized various functions in Gujarat. It is based primarily in the US and UK but may spread its wings to other countries where a large number of Gujaratis are settled for work or education.

“We believe that the NRGs can influence Gujaratis in the state at a very different level,” the leader said.

A few months back, BJP’s national president Nitin Gadkari, and BJP MP and national BJP women’s cell president Smiriti Irani had visited the UK and met some Gujarati people and members of other Indian communities.

The BJP had started giving importance to NRIs and NRGs when the Vajpayee government was in power at the centre. The Vajpayee government had proposed giving dual citizenship and voting rights to NRIs.

Some countries had accepted dual citizenship but voting rights could not be given to NRIs. According to the BJP, there are five crore Indians settled abroad, out of which one crore are Gujaratis.