Maharashtra

arrives at the statue venue on Sadhu Bet, a hillock 3.1km away from the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Experts see the statue as the latest in a series of attempts by the BJP to lay claim to the legacy of Patel, who was a lifelong member of the Congress, at a time when a section of the Patel (Patidar) community has grown increasingly disgruntled with the BJP.

The support of the influential Patidar community, which constitutes 12% of the state’s population, is crucial for the BJP to repeat its 2014 record of winning all 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state. ‘’Not just Patidars, the statue will help the BJP woo Gujaratis as it has been seen a moment for Guj-

3.1 km from Sardar Sarovar Dam in

arat Asmita (pride). Even over the OBC quota issue, Patidars are divided and a large section is not adamant over the demand of reservation. This section will be very pleased with Sardar memorial,” said political analyst Krishnakant Unadkat.

But the inauguration is not without controversies. Scores of tribal groups from nine districts have called for a strike and as many as 11 Congress tribal MLAS and independent MLA Jignesh Mewani have supported the call. “Patels and tribals are unhappy and the drama surrounding the statue’s inauguration is uncalled for,” said Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi.