Gandhinagar: The state leadership of BJP has directed all ministers to spend a minimum of 72 hours in tribal-majority districts of Gujarat to strengthen the party’s presence there. Ministers have been asked to spend three days in the towns and villages, interact with locals to understand the problems they face and report to the state govt if policy-level changes are required to be made to resolve them.According to top govt sources, four ministers have already begun their three-day stay in the areas, and others are expected to follow suit.“The chief minister had convened a meeting of ministers a few days ago. Every minister will be required to spend three days in tribal-majority areas. The recent loss for the party in the Narmada district panchayat is being viewed seriously by the leadership, especially since the assembly election is just a year away,” said a senior BJP leader.In all, 27 of the 182 seats in the Gujarat assembly, and four in the Lok Sabha are reserved for candidates from scheduled tribes. The tribal region in Gujarat spans 53 talukas across 14 districts. Tribals account for about 15% of the state’s population.In the 2022 assembly election, the BJP won 23 of the 27 ST-reserved seats, while it won all the four ST-reserved Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 general election. However, the saffron party lost the Narmada district panchayat to AAP in the recently held local body polls.
