Ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, the influential Jat community appears to be the center of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) comeback plan with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding a rally in the heart of Jat heartland and paying accolades to peasant leader, Sir Chhotu Ram who too belonged to the community.

Addressing a rally after unveiling a 64-foot-tall statue of Sir Chhotu Ram at his native village Sampla (Rohtak), the PM compared the peasant leader to the Sardar Patel.

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Beginning his speech in Haryanavi language and making the crowd repeat the slogan “Sir Chhotu Ram Amar Rahe” (long live Sir Chhotu Ram), Modi said he (Sir Chhotu Ram) was the voice of peasants and messiah of farmers.

He said both Sardar Patel and Sir Chhotu Ram were farmers and they worked for farmers. “When I have worked in Haryana, everyday I used to hear the tales of Sir Chhotu Ram.

In Haryana, every house has a member in the Army. It was Sir Chhotu Ram who inspired people to enroll in the Army,” he added.

The PM said Sardar Patel had said that if Sir Chhotu Ram was alive at the time of Independence, he (Patel) would not have to think about Punjab. He said like Patel, Sir Chhotu Ram played role in India’s formation.

Despite the BJP, for the first time, forming government in the state on its own by winning 2014 Haryana Assembly polls, majority of Jats – who constitute nearly 30 per cent of the state’s population — still support the Congress and Indian National Lok Dal.

It’s therefore, imperative for the BJP to woo the Jats, ahead of 2019 polls for success in 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls even as the party is banking on non-Jat votes for its electoral success.

While key demand of Jats for other backward classes reservation (OBC) remains unfilled, the BJP has tried to soften the community by withdrawing some cases registered against its members during the violent Jat agitation for reservation and giving due representation to Jats in the party as well as the government.

By holding today’s rally in Rohtak and paying accolades to Sir Chhotu Ram, the BJP tried to give a message to Jats that the community remains on party’s agenda and plans for Haryana.

Sir Chhotu Ram, who was born on November 24, 1881, was regarded as a messiah of peasants and was instrumental in empowering farmers in pre-Independence era and getting pro-farmers law enacted. He had fought for farmers’ rights during the British rule.

Renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan-recipient Ram Vanji Sutar sculpted the 64-foot-tall statue which is the biggest in Haryana. As many as 5,500 farmers of the state donated iron metal for the construction of the statue.

After unveiling the statue, Modi paid floral tribute to the peasant leader and visited a museum built in his memory. There, Modi watched a four-minute documentary on the life of Sir Chhotu Ram.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Birender Singh, Union Minister and maternal grandson of Sir Chhotu Ram, were present at the event.