BATTLE OF STRONGMEN AT MAHATMA’S BIRTHPLACE
Saturday, 26 April 2014 | Nayan Dave | PORBANDAR (SAURASHTRA REGION)
In the ancient times it was pilgrimage known as Sudamapuri after Lord Krishna’s pauper pal Sudama. Post-Independence, the coastal Porbandar town became famous worldwide as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi — a ‘Messenger of Peace’. However, over the past four decades, its age-old reputation has taken a deep plunge because of local mafias, who are literally into gang wars to control rich mineral deposits and commercial activities on Porbandar port.
The fact is also reflected on the choice of candidates. Under the seat-sharing agreement, the Congress ceded the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat to Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Pawar’s political outfit has given ticket to Kandhal Jadeja, who comes from pure criminal background, against whom numerous criminal cases are pending.
The eldest son of Godmother — Santokben — is also a sitting MLA from Kutiyana.
Sitting Porbandar MP and Leuva Patel leader Vitthal Radadiya, who won the 2009 Lok Sabha elections as the Congress candidate, switched over to the BJP in 2012 and also resigned as Member of Parliament.
Radadiya, against whom at least 10 criminal cases are pending, again won in the by-elections in 2013 as BJP candidate. Now, the BJP has repeated him. He had shot to national infamy by brandishing a gun at a toll booth on the highway near Vadodara couple of years back.
“Porbandar constituents do not have much to choose. They need to resort judiciously on the lesser evil. Administration would require being extra vigil to prevent bogus voting in this highly sensitive constituency. Otherwise, electors in certain pockets would not able to use their franchise independently,” opined Manish Kotecha, a leading businessman in Porbandar.
The coastal town also accounts for two former Bollywood divas — Mumtaz and Juhi Chawla — who are daughters-in-law of the two industrialist families — Madhvanis and Mahetas, whose business empire across the globe. Looking to caste equations, 55-year-old Radadiya is having clear advantage. Of the 15 lakh odd electors in the constituency, spreading across the three districts — Porbandar, Junagadh and Rajkot — Patels are nearly 3.75 lakh. 42-year-old Jadeja who is from OBC Maher community is having constituents’ strength of nearly 1.25 lakh.
However, he is heavily banking upon nearly 2 lakh votes of Muslims and Dalits together.
Another important factor is Gujarat’s Minister Babu Bokhiria, who is from Maher community and Porbandar MLA. Bokhiria, against whom, cases pertaining to illegal mining scam are pending, which would split Maher community votes, which would dent Jadeja’s committed vote bank. The Minister is overseeing Radadiya’s campaign, especially in Porbandar town and surrounding villages.
Jadeja bears the fearsome legacy of his father Sharman Munja, who emerged ‘Godfather’ like don from a labourer of a textile mill owned by actress Juhi Chawla’s in-laws. Swayed by a social reformer Pandurang Shastri, Sharman literally transformed and put down weapons.
However, within a few months he was shot dead. Subsequently, his wife Santokben took the charge and again resorted to crime. She also became MLA. Santokben drew the attention of entire nation following a Bollywood film based on her — ‘Godmother’ in which Shabana Azami played ‘Godmother’.
“Kandhal is having advantage of being a local candidate. Not only Maher but voters from other community would back him as Radadiya has done nothing as Porbandar MP,” claims Ramjibhai Keshwala, a Jadeja supporter.
Denying his claim Bokhiria says that besides large number of Patel voters, Narendra Modi as PM candidate of BJP is the single biggest factor to retain the Porbandar seat.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/battle-of-strongmen-at-mahatmas-birthplace.html
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