Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent Friday night in Gandhinagar in a long dinner meeting with Gujarat’s top political leadership, a gathering that has set off wide speculation about the BJP’s early preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections in the state.
Modi arrived in Ahmedabad after 8 pm on Friday, flying in from Bengaluru, and drove straight to Lok Bhavan, the Chief Minister’s residence in Gandhinagar. There he sat down with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Cabinet ministers, BJP state president Jagdish Vishwakarma and the party’s general secretaries. Governor Acharya Devvrat had received him at the airport earlier in the evening.
The meeting was unusual. During his visits to Gujarat, Modi usually keeps his schedule to official programmes and rarely holds a collective sitting with the entire Cabinet and the party organisation together. This time, the full leadership was in the room, and the discussion ran late into the night.
What was discussed at Lok Bhavan
Modi reviewed the state government’s work and the party organisation’s preparations. Three subjects dominated the conversation: the government’s outreach to voters, preparations for the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit scheduled for January 2027, and the drought-like conditions and water scarcity in parts of the state.
On the Vibrant Gujarat summit, Modi sought feedback from ministers who have travelled abroad as part of the event’s international outreach and reviewed efforts to attract business delegations and investment to the state.
On the water situation, he asked for details of the steps the state government has taken and assured Patel of the Centre’s support, sources said.
He also took stock of the party’s organisational activities and its plans for the coming months, asking Vishwakarma and his team for an update on the groundwork being done across the state.
2027 elections are a year away, but the groundwork has begun
With barely a year left for the Assembly elections, observers see Friday’s meeting as an early exercise in shaping the BJP’s electoral strategy. The discussions are understood to have centred on taking the achievements and welfare initiatives of the state and Central governments to voters through fresh outreach programmes.
The party faces a changing electorate, with a growing Gen Z voter base and the need to consolidate support among tribal, Koli and Patidar communities.
The groundwork is already visible. The party is preparing for simultaneous New Year “Snehamillan” gatherings across all 182 Assembly constituencies on November 22, with all MLAs instructed to remain in their constituencies. Patel, Sanghavi and Vishwakarma will address the gatherings virtually.
Tribal outreach is another clear focus. The BJP is banking on a Rs 2,300-crore tribal package to shore up support in the 55 tribal-dominated Assembly seats, where the Aam Aadmi Party has been making inroads.
Ambaji visit deferred, Sanskardham meeting today
Modi had been scheduled to visit the Ambaji temple in Banaskantha on Saturday morning, but the visit was deferred. November 14 coincides with Labh Pancham, an auspicious day during the Diwali festival that draws large crowds to the temple.
Deputy Chief Minister Sanghavi said the Prime Minister did not want his visit to disrupt darshan arrangements or inconvenience pilgrims arriving in large numbers during the holiday season. Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary said Modi would return to offer prayers at the temple. Modi is a longstanding devotee of Ambaji and observes the fasting and religious rituals associated with the Chaitra and Ashwin Navratri festivals.
Modi is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Sanskardham Trust, based in Godhavi, at Lok Bhavan on Saturday before leaving for New Delhi.
Why this visit was different
Some described Friday’s gathering as an informal dinner marking the Gujarati New Year and Modi’s completion of 25 years in public life. But its timing, and the full leadership in attendance, has prompted political speculation that goes beyond a festive dinner.
Friday’s meeting was different in character: it was about the party and the politics of the year ahead, not just projects.
With the Vibrant Gujarat summit in January and the Snehamillan gatherings on November 22, Friday night at Lok Bhavan was the clearest signal yet that the 2027 campaign has quietly begun.
FAQs
Why did PM Modi hold a late-night meeting in Gandhinagar?
Modi held a dinner meeting with Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Cabinet ministers and BJP state leadership at Lok Bhavan on Friday night, November 13, to review government work, party outreach, Vibrant Gujarat summit preparations and drought conditions.
Are the 2027 Gujarat Assembly elections the reason?
The elections are about a year away, and observers see the meeting as an early exercise in shaping the BJP’s electoral strategy, though the dinner was also described as a Gujarati New Year gathering.
What is the Snehamillan programme on November 22?
The BJP will hold simultaneous New Year Snehamillan gatherings across all 182 Assembly constituencies in Gujarat, with all MLAs present in their constituencies and senior leaders addressing them virtually.
Why was Modi’s Ambaji temple visit deferred?
The visit was deferred because November 14 is Labh Pancham, a day that draws large crowds to the Ambaji temple. The Prime Minister did not want his visit to disrupt darshan arrangements for pilgrims.
When does Modi leave Gujarat?
He is scheduled to attend a Sanskardham Trust meeting at Lok Bhavan on Saturday, November 14, before leaving for New Delhi.
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