Non-Resident Gujaratis are descending on their home state to boost BJP’s poll prospects and express their support to fellow Gujarati Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Around 20-25 NRIs are in touch with the Overseas Friends of BJP, an arm of the party that deals with the diaspora, to canvas for the party during Gujarat elections. Most of them are from the US, followed by UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Their number is likely to swell as the campaign picks up.
“Modi’s heart is still in Gujarat and he is still overseeing the state’s development. The state has not seen any riots since 2002,” said Bhailal Patel, 77-year old Chicago-based NRI who claimed to have known Modi since he was “virtually a no body”. Patel’s WatsApp group has 151 US-based Gujarati NRIs as members. He also has a Facebook page that he uses for eulogising Modi and slamming Congress and its vicepresident Rahul Gandhi.