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Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, contesting as the BJP candidate from Porbandar Lok Sabha constituency, on Tuesday made a significant outreach during his campaign. Venturing into the forests, he met members of Maldharis - a shepherd community often overlooked by mainstream politics.
Expressing his commitment to their well-being, Mandaviya emphasized the need for holistic development, promising to address their educational, healthcare, and living standards. Talking to ANI, Mandaviya said, "I met the Shepherd community today. No one from any political party has come to meet them. Even they never talked to them. I talked to them and understood their problem. I want these people to also develop. If they want to shift outside of the forest, then I will help them. I want to provide them with education, healthcare facilities and a better life." The Maldhari community has made significant contributions to the conservation and protection of wildlife. The Maldharis have lived in the Gir National Park, in the Banni Grasslands Reserve area, for the past thousand years. They have co-existed with the lions which the Gir National Park was created to preserve, for these thousand years. Maldhari community breeds Banni Buffaloes, a species endemic to the region. The buffaloes are adaptive to Kutch's hot weather conditions. He also expressed confidence in his victory. "I am 100 per cent confident of gaining the full support of the people. I am going to win the Porbandar seat with a huge margin," he said. Reflecting on his extensive month-long campaign, Mandaviya expressed confidence in the BJP's prospects, asserting that the party will secure over 370 seats nationwide. " I have been campaigning for the past 1 month and going among the people. I can sense the pulse of people, based on that I can say that the BJP will win all 26 seats in Gujarat. Across the country, the BJP will win more than 370 seats and with more than 400 seats for the NDA, PM Modi's government will be formed once again," he said. He went beyond rhetoric, sharing meals with the community and actively listening to their concerns. Gujarat will vote for 25 out of 26 parliamentary seats in the Lok Sabha elections on May 7. BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed in Surat after the nomination papers of the Congress party's candidate Nilesh Kumbhani were rejected, as his three proposers claimed in an affidavit to the district election officer th they had not signed his nomination form. Gujarat, the home state of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is a citadel of the BJP with the party winning all 26 seats in the last two general elections. (ANI)
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