Gujarat Elections: For BJP, voters show both pride and prejudice -Governance Now

Gujarat Elections: For BJP, voters show both pride and prejudice

Till the Congress regains emotional connect, it will make only sound and fury, signifying nothing

Ajay Singh | December 9, 2017 | Surat

#Congress #BJP #Narendra Modi #politics #elections #Gujarat #Rahul Gandhi

Prime minister Narendra Modi (Photo: narendramodi.in)

Familiarity, it is said, breeds contempt. But a two-decade-long association of a political party with the electorate is bound to unleash demons of contempt, jealousy and disaffection.

If one looks at confusing signals emanating from Gujarat, most of them are coming from voters’ high degree of familiarity with the BJP leadership in the state. For them, over the years, BJP leaders have practically become next-door neighbours whose proximity evokes both pride and prejudice simultaneously.

This assembly election in Gujarat is certainly not an ordinary election. After nearly two decades, Gujarat is feeling the absence of the leader who is arguably the most powerful leader the state has ever produced after Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. No doubt, his larger than life image has substantially dwarfed other leaders in the state.

In this context, the regime headed by either Anandiben Patel or Vijay Rupani is a pale shadow of the Narendra Modi government of nearly 13 years. Ever since Modi shifted to Delhi in 2014, the state government has lacked the flamboyance and innovation that were hallmarks of his style. Similarly, there are complaints of the state bureaucracy slipping back into its corrupt mode in the post-Modi phase.

At the same time, there are certain achievements on which the voters are unequivocally appreciative of Modi. For instance, Modi’s ambitious plan of holding ‘Garib Mela’ at regular intervals was believed to be a game-changer in the 2012 assembly elections. Modi’s emphasis on infrastructure is appreciated all around. But the energy that Modi displayed in connecting with the people has been found singularly missing in his successors.

So, there’s an obvious disconnect between the electorate and the BJP’s new leadership. But that’s not the only grouse. While traveling across south Gujarat, one comes across a new word in political lexicon – ahankar (hubris). At the textile market in Surat, office-bearers of the traders association say that they are unhappy with the “ahankar” of the BJP leadership. “How could they take us for granted?” Asked one office-bearer while pointing to BJP president Amit Shah’s claim that the party would win more than 150 seats. When asked if he would support the Congress, his instant reply was: “No way. We may be unhappy but we still trust Modi.”

The underlying message is clear: The new BJP leadership cannot take voters’ support for granted. Modi still remains an exception. Perhaps the party leadership belatedly understood the angst of voters and started reaching out to them in right earnest. Given the robust and dynamic organisational structure of the BJP, this swell of anger is substantially neutralised by dedicated teams of workers.

The rise of Hardik Patel is a corollary to political prejudices and zealousness that prevail in the state’s politics. A section of Patidars who see political power as their entitlement found in Modi’s absence an opportunity to assert themselves. That Hardik’s voice found resonance among the younger generation is indeed a matter of concern for the BJP.

There’s no doubt that the assembly election in Gujarat would leave an enormous scope for the BJP to set its own house in order and introspect. But it’s equally true that the BJP’s assimilation in Gujarat’s society and charisma of Modi far outweigh the transient emotional aberrations on which the Congress intends to capitalise. Till the Congress acquires the status of the next-door neighbour for Gujaratis, it will make only sound and fury, signifying nothing.

[This article first appeared on FirstPost.com.]

Comments

Other News

Seeking religious aid in governance in India

India is known for its old and rich culture, and religion forms a substantial part of it. In India it is hard to find people who categorise themselves as atheists, unless we refer to the matrimonial or dating apps that now have a breed distancing themselves from any religion and categorise themselves as sp

Uneasy calm in riot-torn Delhi

No untoward incidents have been reported from the parts of the capital that witnessed communal riots this week, but the peace Thursday morning was still tentative and a number of those hospitalized for injuries were battling for life. Clashes began Sunday evening and engulfed parts of northe

Modi-Trump show gives India-US ties new dynamism

In the more than 40 hours of stay in India during his two-day visit, US president Donald Trump exhibited his talents as a politician and also a showman with acumen to provide the Indian audience and Americans back home enough opportunity to stay glued to his activities on the Indian soil. Whether it be his

People-to-people relations the real foundation of Indo-US friendship: Modi

On the second and last day of US president Donald Trump’s India visit, prime minister Narendra Modi said the real foundation of Indo-US friendship is people-to-people relations. Trump, meanwhile, sidestepped the contentious issues of the protests against the new citizenship law, telling a joint press

America loves India, America respects India: Trump

America loves India, America respects India, said US president Donald Trump as he and first lady Melania Trump began their short visit of India from Ahmedabad on Monday, welcomed by prime minister Narendra Modi. The US president was in Ahmedabad, in Modi`s home state of Gujarat, to attend th

2020 is crucial for CPSE: Arjun Ram Meghwal

"The year 2020 is going to be a significant year for India and especially for Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE), "said the Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for heavy industries and public enterprises on Wednesday at the 7th PSU Awards and Conference organised by Governance Now on 19th