REGAINING RAJKOT A BATTLE OF PRESTIGE FOR BJP NOW
Monday, 21 April 2014 | Nayan Dave | RAJKOT
Almost for two decades, it was considered as the BJP bastion. The saffron brigade won five consecutive Lok Sabha polls from Rajkot constituency since 1991. However, wrong choice of candidate turned the tables and BJP lost its traditional seat in 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
However, in order to recapture the lost bastion, the BJP has fielded a seasoned politician this time, compared to a completely novice contestant in the last Lok Sabha polls. But with BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi eyeing all 26 constituencies from Gujarat, recapturing Rajkot seat is more of a battle of prestige for the saffron party now. Many in Rajkot believe that it was the BJP that served the rival Congress party its victory on platter in 2009, by fielding Kiran Patel — a US educated, English speaking candidate.
Though Patel is a successful industrialist and educationist, he was new entrant in politics. On the other hand, the Congress gave ticket to a seasoned politician Kunvarji Bavalia, who had tremendous hold in the rural areas. While the Congress has repeated its winning candidate Bavalia, BJP gave ticket to three-time MLA Mohan Kundariya, a farmer with business interests in the ceramic industry. Bavalia is associated with education institutions and belongs to Koli community, which forms over 2 lakh votes out of nearly 15 lakh electors.
Of the seven Assembly segments falling under Rajkot Lok Sabha seat, the Congress won from three in 2012 Assembly polls despite the Modi wave. It is the cause of concern for the BJP as these three segments — Jasdan from where Bavalia belongs, Wankaner and Rajkot East — are committed to the Congress. The 2014 Lok Sabha elections, however, are completely different from the earlier ones, says Raju Dhruv, BJP spokesman for Saurashtra region, adding that unprecedented popularity of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is likely to transform traditional Congress votes into the BJP fold.
“Bavalia got over three lakh votes and won with a comfortable margin of nearly 25,000 votes in the last Lok Sabha election. He raised important questions regarding Rajkot — including railway connectivity — in Parliament. Besides, he is approachable to everyone. Such qualities would fetch him even more votes in the 2014 polls,” claims Indranil Rajguru, the Congress MLA from Rajkot East Assembly segment.
Besides committed Koli votes, the Congress is banking heavily upon over 2 lakh Muslim and nearly 1.5 lakh Dalit votes. In Saurashtra region rivalry of two Patel sub-castes: Leuva Patel and Kadva Patel are well-known. The BJP has fielded sitting Tankara MLA Kundaria, who represents Kadva Patel. “Which means, the Congress candidate likely to get large number of Leuva Patel’s vote, despite the fact its leaders — Keshubhai Patel and Gordhan Zadaphia joined BJP recently,” opined a Congress leader.
However, these factors are not adequate for the Congress candidate to get through. Unlike Kundaria who is getting huge BJP organisational support, Bavalia will have to depend on his personal strength. “It’s a contest between Bavalia versus BJP,” says Rajkot journalist Mukesh Vyas, adding that, “Bavalia comes from a rural background and he is easily accessible. Besides, he has got the advantage of committed votes. However, urban votes would be the cause of concern for him. It would make the contest equally poised.”
Barring few pockets urban voters are less bothered about candidates, they want to vote PM candidate. Dilipsinh Rana, who runs city’s only heritage hotel, believes that Modi’s initiative for tourism sector has really boosted tourism activities across the State. “In the past few years, tourism industry in Gujarat has generated lakhs of job. It can be done by a visionary leader only,” says Rana referring to Amitabh Bachchan as Gujarat’s Tourism Brand Ambassador. Businesswoman Ratna Sejpal says that the Congress candidate couldn’t represent Rajkot constituency properly in the parliament, the city has not yet got its due. Candidates are immaterial for voters, people are voting for Modi, said Rajkot-based businessman Bharat Amalani.
There has been blame on sitting Rajkot MP of being inactive. However, Bavalia claims that because of his efforts a double railway track has been sanctioned for Rajkot. He is also promising Rajkot city voters who are facing severe water crisis that he would pressurize the Centre to sanction a special scheme for regular water supply in the city. BJP candidate Mohan Kundaria, who is also an outsider for Rajkot city, is trying hard to woo urban voters by promising them to raise the issue of extension of the airport runway to accommodate bigger air-craft. “Despite being the commercial capital of Saurashtra region, Rajkot is missing air-connectivity with major cities of India,” says Kundaria.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/regaining-rajkot-a-battle-of-prestige-for-bjp-now.html
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