Gujarat: BJP focuses on AAP, Patidars and tribals

The impact that the Patidar community, tribal vote bank and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will have on the BJP's prospects dominated discussions at the two-day 'Chintan Shibir', or brainstorming session, of the party, which got underway on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Union home minister Amit Shah and other leaders of the party were present at the event, lending significance to the session as the governing BJP prepares a blueprint for the Gujarat assembly election scheduled later this year.

BJP sources said that the party has identified the seats that it won in 2017 with a margin of less than 5,000 votes and those which Congress has been traditionally strong in. 

Strategies to win such seats and divide anti-BJP votes were discussed. 

BJP has already announced that it intends to win a record 150 of the total 182 seats of the Gujarat assembly.

Although BJP has publicly underplayed AAP's presence in the state, sources said the issue of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party having made electoral gains in the Surat Municipal Corporation poll was discussed. 

Much of the BJP's electoral setbacks in 2017 were a result of antagonism within the Patidar community due to the reservation issue. 

Subsequent polls have indicated that the Patidar community is now firmly with BJP. 

The anti-party utterances being made by Congress leader Hardik Patel were discussed, the sources said. Congress's tribal push at the beginning of the election season was also discussed at the meeting.