Cong hopes to ride on success of NREGA, forest land right

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and granting of forest land right to tribals, two flagship programmes of the UPA govt may help congress electorally in Gujarat where tribal population is around 15 per cent and can influence eight seats.

Tribals, which are spread in North-Eastern and South belt of Gujarat, are the main beneficiaries of these two schemes introduced by the Congress-led UPA government.

In the state, out of 26 Lok Sabha seats, four are tribal reserved seats-Bardoli and Valsad in South Gujarat and Dahod and Chhota Udeipur in Central Gujarat.

However, apart from reserved seats, tribals have considerable presence in Panchmahal, Bharuch, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha parliamentary constituencies.

"Our main campaign centres of NREGA, which has given work to the people in tribal areas and has had a positive impact on rural economy," said Nasvadi Congress MLA Dhirubhai Bhil.

"We also tell people that ask BJP leaders to make their stand clear regarding the employment guarantee scheme. It is important to know whether the BJP if voted to power, will continue the scheme or scrap it," he said.