Kat’s cheeks replace Hema’s
Ever since former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad made that sexist remark of making Bihar’s roads as smooth as Hindi film actress Hema Malini’s cheeks, the analogy has been repeated time and again — in different states and by different leaders, but the context has remained the same. And though the yesteryear dream girl has long passed her prime, her cheeks have found a mention regularly.  

Addressing a BJP rally in Mahuva on December 1, BJP leader Sidhartha Singh brought the analogy back in currency, only preferring to update it. "The Gujarat government has made the roads of the state as smooth as the cheeks of Katrina Kaif,” he told the audience to a cheering response.

Well, the new-age dream girl seems to have entered the political lexicon.

Modi finally comes to Mahuva
When Narendra Modi cancelled his Mahuva visit during his Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra earlier in October, it was widely reported in the local media that the chief minister did it deliberately to avoid confrontation with Mahuva MLA Dr Kannubhai Kalsaria and farmers of the region.

Kalsaria, who till recently was with the BJP and has won the last three assembly elections from Mahuva, had opposed the government’s policies over allotment of land in Mahuva to Nirma company for a cement plant. He had led farmer’s agitation against his own government, leading to the withdrawal of the cement factory from Mahuva, thereby becoming a huge embarrassment for the party and government.  

When the BJP announced again that Modi would address a rally in Mahuva on December 1, not many were sure that the chief minister would actually keep his commitment.

But as opposed to the popular perception, Modi kept his commitment. And he did it in his own inimitable style. “I am here for the first time but I keep tab of everything sitting in Gandhinagar,” he told the crowd. For the rest of the hour or so, Modi enamoured them with bristling attacks on the Congress and its president, Sonia Gandhi.  

“He came, he saw, and he conquered,” gushed a BJP worker immediately after Modi left the venue. Whether Modi conquered the 3,000-odd spectators or not remains to be seen but he certainly did leave them mesmerised.  

Surprisingly, he did not utter a word against sitting MLA Kannubhai Kalsaria and his party Sadbhwana Manch. “This was deliberate,” said a a Sadbhawana Manch worker. “Attacking Kannubhai in Mahuva could go against Modi and he knows that.”

A sip of tea, and Mr Know-it-all
Going around Mahuva few days ahead of the nomination process (Nov 20, the day of filing of nomination to Nov 25, the last date of withdrawal of nomination) it was hard to believe the state was going to elections in less than three weeks days. No posters, no festoons, no loudspeakers, no meetings.  In other words, no sign and noise of the election fever at all.

But the lack of election hoopla on the outside was misleading. Ten minutes at a corner tea stall in the market place, and one realised that the air was thick with the approaching elections.  

“So I hear the BJP is fielding Dr Dhirubhai Ahir to counter Dr Kannubhai Kalsaria of Sadbhawana Manch so that he cuts his Pancholi votes,” said a gentleman sipping his hot cuppa.

“Oh yes, that is the only way to defeat Kalsaria in his own den,” agreed his listener.

Kalsaria, a hugely popular figure in Mahuva, won three consecutive terms on a BJP ticket. But he left BJP last year to float his own party: Sadbhawana Manch.

“Dr Ahir belongs to Pancholi caste, same as Kalsaria’s, and is another respected figure in Mahuva. Therefore fielding him makes sense,” the first gentleman elaborated.

“What about the Congress?” chipped in a third man, listening attentively.

“Ah, the Congress has absolutely no chance. Much like the state leadership, it does not have a charismatic figure to field. So the fight is between the BJP and Sadbhawana,” said the first, who by now had asserted himself as ‘Mr know-all’ of the group.

The game and checkmates over nominations
The BJP was first to announce its candidate. Bhavana Makwana, the sitting MLA from adjoining constituency Taladja, and wife of RC Makwana, Bhavnagar district general secretary BJP, was to fight from Mahuva seat. Dr Dhirubhai Ahir, who had recently joined BJP and was tipped to be the party’s candidate from the seat, reportedly lost the race since he is a political novice.

“Ahir’s candidature was opposed by RC Makwana and others, who have been in the party for years,” explained a BJP worker. Another theory floating around is that Bhavana Makwana, unsure of her victory from her erstwhile seat Taladja, opted for Mahuva, considered safe for the BJP.  

Another surprise was sprung by Sadbhawana Manch. While Kannubhai Kalsaria was tipped to fight from Mahuva, a seat he had won three consecutive times, the party announced Bharatbhai Thakkar as its candidate. Thakkar, who was president of the Mahuva municipality (on BJP ticket) from 2004-09, left the party last year, to join Kannubhai’s Sadbhawana Manch.

The Congress announced Raj Mehta, son of former Congressman Jaswant Mehta as its candidate and Keshubhai Patel’s Gujarat Parivartan Party’s ticket went to Harishbhai Mehta. Both these candidates are considered lightweights and the real fight is expected between BJP and Sadbhavana.

Meanwhile, Kalsaria has opted to fight from adjoining Gariadhar constituency. Sixty-two villages from Mahuva have been assigned to Gariadhar in a delimitation exercise.