In Gujarat, it’s prestige over politics for both BJP and Cong

While the campaigning for the third phase of polling came to an end on Sunday, the unpredictable voter mood is keeping the two camps - the BJP and Congress - on tenterhooks.

The nervousness is evident with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his last poll rally in Gujarat at Patan on Sunday making a fervent appeal to the voters of his home State saying, "After the results on May 23, even if we form government but if there is some lacuna in (getting) 26 seats, the TV reporters will only focus on that instead of looking at our successful performance in other parts of the country. So, you have a bigger responsibility."

Gujarat's all 26 seats are among the 115 seats of 14 States going to polls in third phase on Tuesday. By-elections to the legislative assemblies of Unjha and Talala will also be conducted on the same day.

In 2014, under the 'Modi Wave' the BJP had swept all 26 Lok Sabha seats in the State setting a record. "We are eyeing a repeat of 2014. But there are some challenges especially after the 2017 Assembly polls. However, we are confident and putting in our best to achieve what Modiji wants," said a senior BJP functionery. Among the heavyweights, Party chief Amit Shah is running for the Lok Sabha from Gandhinagar constituency - a BJP fort.

Insiders believe that rural pockets will pose a threat to the ruling party over issues of water, irrigation, agriculture prices, crop insurance, debt burden and increasing cost of living and depleting income levels.

For example, in Saurashtra farmers' displeasure is visible over the Modi government's agriculture measures.

"He (Modi) talks about doubling farmers' income by 2022. But in past five years, we have realised that these were just smart words from his oratory skills. We believed him in 2014 but nothing has changed for us. Today, we producers are left to fend for ourselves amid rising costs and non-remunerative prices. Procurement measures are just a showcase. We are fed up, you will see the reflection in the results," said Jentilal Kasundra, a resident of Mota Khijadiya village in Tankara taluka in Rajkot district. The anti-incumbency factor had started surfacing right from the Assembly polls in December 2017, when the Congress managed to wrestle the Tankara seat from the BJP with a vote margin of about 30,000.

For Congress, Gujarat is equally a battle of prestige as for the ruling party. The grand old party has set high ambitions after its recent victories in the assembly polls of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The party looks to gain its lost ground in the State.

The Congress is betting big on caste-based support from leaders of Patidar agitation, OBC and Dalit communities, which form more than 50 per cent of the voter base.

"The Congress cadre is revived after the 2017 assembly poll results. We are hopeful of a respectable show in this elections. The Central leadership is keeping a close watch on the poll developments in Gujarat," said a Congress leader from Central Gujarat. In 2017 Assembly polls, Congress increased its tally significantly at the cost of the ruling BJP. However, a challenge that the Congress party is facing is the defection of its MLAs to the BJP fold. In past one year, over half a dozen Congress MLAs have quit the party to join BJP.

However, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Saturday at a rally in Rajkot claimed that his party would spring a surprise by cornering 10-15 seats in Gujarat.

While the ruling party's campaigning revolved around the issues of national security, and claimed credit on basic facilities such as electricity, sanitation, housing and gas connection to poor, the Congress pitched for votes with a promise for farm loan waiver and improved job prospects.

COMMENT NOW