Why is everyone praying in Gujarat? After Rahul, Modi, Hardik's parents seek god’s blessings

From Rahul Gandhi, Narendra Modi to the parents of Hardik Patel, everyone in Gujarat is praying during elections.

Gandhinagar, Dec 14: Long ago, Mahatma Gandhi had famously said, "Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening."

This Gujarat Assembly election season, "prayer" has truly become the "key" to voters' hearts. Regarding the "bolt" to voters' hearts, we will know about it soon during the election results of the all-important Gujarat polls. The results of the elections will be out on December 18.

Till then, let's pray and join the "bhakti" (devotion) bandwagon of Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the family of Hardik Patel, the founder of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).

In the last few months, it is the temple tour of Rahul, who was seen hopping from one temple to another in Gujarat before the elections, that caught the attention of all, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which blasted him for promoting soft Hindutva.

PM Modi too visited a couple of temples. The most recent one was when he took a seaplane to pray at Ambaji temple in Banaskantha district on the last day of campaigning for the second phase of polling on Tuesday.

On Thursday, when Gujarat voted for the second and final phase of polling, it was the parents of Hardik, the 24-year-old leader, who was photographed seeking blessing from the almighty.

"Hardik Patel's parents pray as voting for the second phase of #GujaratElection2017 begins," tweeted ANI.

In a way, in Gujarat--adorned with several Hindu temples--all are praying. But actually, it is the voters of the state who should pray the hardest--irrespective of whether they are Hindus, Muslims or Christians--so that they elect the right party and candidates and reject everything that is wrong for them.

Hardik has been branded by the media as the "X factor" in the Gujarat polls. Experts say the 24-year-old leader holds the key to as how the important Patidar community votes this time.

The Patidar community forms 12 percent of the state's population. The community has always been loyal to the BJP. However, after Hardik started his Patidar agitation demanding reservation for the members of the community in government jobs and educational institutions, distance seems to have grown between the saffron party and its former loyalists.

Recently, Hardik has pledged the community's support to the Congress and appealed to the people to "uproot the BJP". On the day of election results, it would be revealed whose prayers were heard by the Hindu gods.

OneIndia News