PM Modi may announce sops for Gujarat

New Delhi: All is not well for the BJP in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home turf. 

This is the first time in 16 years that Assembly elections in Gujarat will be held without Mr Modi being directly at the helm of affairs in the state.

With party president Amit Shah setting the target of 150 in the 182-seat Assembly, all eyes are on Mr Modi’s proposed visit to the state to address a mega rally in Gandhinagar on October 16. 

Some BJP functionaries say that the Prime Minister could play “Santa Claus” and offer “major sops” to Gujarat voters as a “Diwali gift”. 

The Opposition, including the Congress, has accused the BJP of mounting pressure on the Election Commission to delay announcing dates for the Gujarat Assembly elections, to allow the Prime Minister to “announce sops”. 

And now BJP MP Varun Gandhi, in a statement that’s bound to embarrass his party, has described the Election Commission as a “toothless tiger.”

That the BJP is going all out to retain Gujarat by playing the Hindutva card was evident from the party’s move to bring in hardliners like Yogi Adityanath and Uma Bharati for campaigning. To woo women voters, the BJP has fielded Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.