By Japan K Pathak, Ahmedabad, 9 June 2012

MahaGujarat Janata Party chief Gordhan Zadafia believes that one thing that can defeat the BJP in Gujarat assembly poll 2012 is casteism.

Speaking to DeshGujarat in Ahmedabad on Friday evening, Zadafia said that BJP is always in trouble when casteism surfaces.

“In the name of nationalism, Kalyansinh won Uttar Pradesh. But when casteism again marginalized nationalism, the BJP lost Uttar Pradesh,” Zadafia said.

“Narendrabhai selected the path of casteism and first organized a Patidar gathering in the name of felicitation of newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Mandavia. Later he addressed the gatherings of Brahmins, Telugus, Biharis and others. In reaction to this others too started organizing caste based conventions,” Zadafia further said.

“The politics in 2012 is the politics of castes and it is proven that whenever caste based politics emerges, BJP tastes loss,” Zadafia said adding that casteism will finish the BJP.

Zadafia was speaking to DeshGujarat after returning from Ghoghamba in Panchamahal district where his party is involved in organizing a tribal convention, which will be addressed by Keshubhai Patel of BJP. Zadafia’s party has in recent past organized conventions of Rohit community and Patidar community too. Zadafia’s sympathizer and inactive BJP leader Kashiram Rana is going to address OBC gathering in Botad on 12th of June.

On Congress front, various caste wise gatherings like Thakor/Kshatriya sammelan, Patidar sammelan, tribal sammelan etc have been organized so far.

The Gujarat assembly poll is likely to be held in December this year.

As majority of voters(92%) in Gujarat are Hindus and major part of them is considered pro-BJP, the Congress and MJP – two opposition parties are applying all force for successful division in Hindu votes on the basis of castes.