After Keshubhai, now Cong woos Patidars

After BJP veteran Keshubhai Patel raised his voice against Modi government by organizing Patidar gatherings in the state, now the Congress seems to be in combat mood. The Congress will be organising a Patidar Sammelan on June 8 in Mehsana, Gujarat. After the success of Kshatriya Sammelan at Patan, the Congress now plans to make it the second biggest caste-based event to send a clear message to its rivals.
 
Natubhai Pitambar, one of the senior party leaders associated with co-operative sector said, "The state government has unseated the co-operative bodies by sending them unnecessary legal notices. A group is misleading the public by saying that the Patidar community is with the BJP. In fact, people are disillusioned with the present state government and wants a change. The forthcoming sammelan, which is expected to garner the support of one lakh patidars, will prepare a list of its demand and submit it to the state government.”
 
Narhari Amin, another Congress stalwart said, "From the total population of 6.03 crore in the state, 1.5 crore are from patidar community. The present state government has divided these people using Machiavellian practices. But now these people stands united and will express their solidarity with the Cong in the forthcoming sammelan.
 
As the state assembly election bells have started ringing, the caste-based politics have intensified in the state. Both BJP and the Congress are busy in organising caste-gathering and setting the agenda for the upcoming election.
 
Gujarat will go to polls in December this year.