What BJP plans to achieve with its 3-day tribal outreach in Gujarat

The BJP is gearing up for a three-day outreach campaign across Gujarat's 27 Scheduled Tribe (ST) Assembly constituencies following Dussehra. The initiative involves party members, including MPs, MLAs, and ministers, camping in villages, conducting gram sabhas, and visiting schools and Anganwadis. The objective is to directly present the party's development agenda to tribal voters and assess local concerns and organizational gaps.

A confidential booklet has been circulated, detailing the itinerary for each taluka within the ST-reserved belt, spanning from Ambaji in the north to Umargam in the south.

This outreach endeavor is set to showcase the BJP's "Viksit Bharat" narrative, counter the opposition, and address issues such as implementation of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), land rights, and tribal identity. Currently, all four ST-reserved Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat are held by the BJP. The BJP aims to demonstrate its achievements, such as encouraging children at Anganwadis, promoting Pradhan Mantri Kusum Yojana (solar power), and establishing tribal universities.

Additionally, the outreach will help identify organizational weaknesses, allowing leaders to rectify shortcomings.

Recent developments have raised concerns for the BJP. Tribal farmers in Narmada district protested over rights to cultivate forest land in neighbouring Surat district, claiming cultivation is subject to the Forest Rights Act and gram sabha resolutions. Another issue arose in December 2025, when an organization called AC Bharat Sarkar Sangathan surfaced in Banaskantha, allegedly assaulting government officials and influencing people to surrender their election and ration cards.

The BJP remains cautious due to the Congress's decline and the emergence of the AAP, which has gained ground in Narmada district, particularly in the case of Dediapada, where Chaitar Vasava remains in jail but continues to campaign for the AAP.