BJP to brand Cong 'anti-OBC' in Gujarat polls

The BJP is planning to turn the tables against a resurgent Congress in Gujarat by playing up its Opposition to the OBC Commission in the Parliament and branding it as an "anti-OBC" party.

Even as the Congress receives a shot in the arm with prominent OBC youth leader Alpesh Thakore on Saturday announcing plans to join them, the BJP drew blood by getting two close aides of Quota spearhead Hardik Patel — Varun Patel and Reshma Patel.

The BJP is expecting to gain some more youth leaders from the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) to blunt the influence of Hardik Patel, who remains critical for the ruling BJP and is tipped to join the Congress or help it from outside.

The ruling party is planning to use these Patidar leaders during the election campaign to attack the Congress for its alleged "anti-OBC" plank by exposing its "orchestrated drama" to defeat the bill meant to give constitutional status to the OBC Commission.

Almost immediately after joining, the two Patidar leaders alleged that Hardik Patel had become a "Congress agent" and was trying to use the agitation to overthrow the present state government.

"Our agitation was about getting reservation under the OBC quota, not about uprooting the BJP and bringing the Congress to power," Reshma Patel said.

"While the BJP always supported the community and accepted most of our demands, Congress is only trying to use the Patels as a vote bank. We do not want to be party to such a malicious conspiracy," she said.

Varun Patel said the Patidar community would never allow the Congress to take over the reins of Gujarat by "inciting" Patel youths.

To puncture Congress gains among OBCs, the BJP is also planning to play up Modi and Shah as two leaders who are OBCs. They are also expected to highlight the Centre's decision to raise the creamy layer cap for OBC families from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, and to form a commission to look into sub-categorisation of the other backward classes (OBC) quota.