AHMEDABAD: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann are on a two-day Gujarat visit with eyes on the state elections scheduled later this year. The two offered prayers at Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The AAP natinal convener has already began playing the Hindutva and Patidar card in Gujarat. He including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann offered prayers at the Swaminarayan temple here on Sunday.
Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Yogesh Jadwani said that Arvind Kejriwal had met top leaders of the party on the day and provided guidance for the forthcoming elections after the Swaminarayan mandir visit. He also met leaders of various communities and political analysts and took suggestions from them. He also assured to visit Gujarat soon.
Kejriwal’s visit to the Swaminarayan temple is significant because in Gujarat, the Swaminarayan sect has a very large following among the Patel (Patidar) community members. This sect has around 1,100 saints which should be the highest in number for any sect after the Ramkrishna Mission. Patel community has traditionally been with the BJP, but a section of the community has turned against the party due to Patidar’s agitation for reservation in 2015. The sect also has a large following among backward classes in the state.
Meanwhile, the Congress is also trying to wean off Patidar voters – who have been the bedrock of the BJP’s support base in the state – apart from the upper castes and the Vaishya community, from the saffron party.
According to political analyst Dilip Patel, the Swaminarayan sect’s relationship with politics has grown stronger over the last 25 years. The Swaminarayan sect has a very close relationship with the BJP. In 2017 PM Modi was the chief guest of Akshardham Mandir.