AHMEDABAD: Amid intensified efforts by both BJP and AAP to chip away the tribal vote bank of Congress, the grand old party has found itself mired in confusion after the party’s tribal committee chairman planned a rally on the day Rahul Gandhi attending a tribal event in the state.
Congress Tribal committee chairman and Vansda MLA Anant Patel will be heading a rally on Tuesday even as Rahul is scheduled to attend an ‘Adivasi Satyagrah’ in Dahod on the same day.
Notably, both events are being held eying the tribal voters. Patel’s rally is being held far from Dahod, in protest against the Par-Tapil-Narmada project.
With two programmes happening on the same day, a section of party leaders expressed worries about its impact on the voters.
“If the chairman of the tribal committee is working in a different direction, it will send out a wrong message,” a Congress leader said.
“If Rahul is coming, then why there is a need for another programme of the tribal community on the same day,” he wondered.
However, Patel justified the move.
“Our programme was already decided. Earlier, we had to cancel a rally due to another Congress event. Now, if we cancel our programme for the second time, it will have a negative impact,” the tribal leader said.
Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said Patel’s rally is being organised with the consent of entire leadership.
“Our fight is against the BJP government and to get justice to the tribals. Patel is organising the rally with the consent of the entire Congress.”