Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ahmedabad on Friday, 10 June, is his second visit to Gujarat in a span of just about 15 days. Earlier, on 29 May, he visited Rajkot and Gandhinagar to mark eight years of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government at the Centre. The PM is also scheduled to visit Vadodara on 18 June. This makes a total of three visits in less than a month's time.
Why exactly are we discussing the prime minister's travel itinerary? Because he is not alone. The who's who of Indian politics are frequenting Gujarat as the state gears up for assembly elections later this year. This list includes national leaders like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
Clearly, political parties in Gujarat have entered the poll mode in full swing. While traditional players like the Congress and the BJP are looking to regain power, new entrants like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) are preparing to make a dent in BJP's home state in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
What is at stake in the saffron state and what tricks have political parties come armed with, to the battlefield? The Quint spoke to party workers on the ground to find out.