Congress reaches out to Gujarati voters, says demonetisation, GST bane for businesses

Ahead of the civic polls, Congress is looking to regain its base in the Gujarati community and have decided to highlight the economic distress and livelihood disruptions that happened due to the Union government’s decisions.

The Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) is focusing on the economic hardships faced by the businessmen and small traders, among whom Gujarati-speakers form substantial numbers. To counter the sway of political Hindutva, the Congress will focus on specific caste groups like Patidars and Gujarati Dalits and will deploy its leaders from Gujarat to spread its message.

Mumbai Congress organised an interactive session with the Gujarati community in Ghatkopar

on Tuesday. The session was addressed by Hardik Patel, the face of the Patidar community’s protests in Gujarat seeking reservations.

“The middle-class and small traders and entrepreneurs have been hurt hard by demonetisation…but since they are into business, they cannot take a critical position openly as they fear retributive action by the present regime using agencies like the Income Tax (IT) and Enforcement Directorate (ED).

These people are very angry and upset and want to get rid of this dispensation,” Patel told HT, adding that the Central government had failed to create jobs and employment opportunities.

“The Covid crisis exposed the real face of Narendra Modi. He did little to help the small traders and the poor. The government works for the benefit of a chosen few among the industrialists. The smaller traders and entrepreneurs are facing massive hardships,” charged Bhai

Jagtap, president, MRCC.

Jagtap said that Patel would help sway voters from the Patidar community, which has significant numbers in Mumbai. The Mumbai Congress also plans to deploy other leaders from the Gujarat unit like the leader of opposition Paresh Dhanani, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Chavda, and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani.