Campaign notes:

Ahmedabad, 27 March 2014

Gujarati newspapers have published Ahmedabad East seat BJP candidate Paresh Rawal’s photographs in which he is surrounded by bouncers. Paresh was accompanied by bouncers during his Dehgam visit. Dehgam is a place where his effigy was burnt by angry BJP workers against party’s decision to make him candidate. When asked to talk about some problems in Ahmedabad East constituency that he would like to solve if elected, Paresh was cluless. He replied he would discuss with local leaders and act. Paresh initially said he would live in Ahmedabad and voters would be free to ring his doorbell anytime. However later in one interview he said if he is in Mumbai, his office will function in Ahmedabad. Paresh had campaigned for Modi in 2012 Gujarat assembly elections. He had said it for number of times that he doesn’t work for party’s ticket. Now when Paresh is here as candidate, he clarifies that he is contesting on Modi’s call. He said he was in Africa when he received a call and was informed about his candidature. On first day of his Ahmedabad visit, Paresh suffered fever and was wearing shawl, on second day he told in an interview that compared to acting, it is difficult to do politics. Paresh who is known as short tempered, kept cool during his two-day visit to Ahmedabad even when asked uncomfortable questions by media persons.

Parshottam Solanki to influence Koli voters

BJP leader Parshottam Solanki will campaign for BJP in three Lok Sabha seat areas; Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Rajkot. Solanki belongs to Koli community. He has good hold over this community. Kolis are traditionally known to vote for only Koli candidate, disregarding party lines. Solanki addressed media in Bhavnagar and announced that on call of Chief Minister Modi he is ready to campaign for party. Solanki was on leader who was given helicopter by party to campaign in Koli community dominated areas of Gujarat during year 2012 Gujarat elections, and even before that.

Zadafia rushes to help Bharat

Keshubhai Patel’s son Bharat Patel is not getting good support from local BJP unit in Visavdar. Bharat is contesting by-election of Visavdar seat following his father Keshubhai Patel’s resignation from this seat as MLA. Bharat rejoined BJP early this year. In 2012 assembly polls, he had worked for his father’s victory here. Bharat’s father was Gujarat Parivartan Party(GPP) candidate at that time, and entire local unit of BJP was against him. Now when Bharat has been introduced as BJP candidate, the local BJP leaders are not too happy to campaign for him. The difference in treatment was evident when local BJP leaders overwhelmingly welcomed and worked for Lok Sabha candidate Rajesh Chudasama during his visit to Visavdar, but failed to work for Bharat Patel when Bharat held road show and door-to-door visit programme in villages. Keshubhai pushed his loyalist Gordhan Zadafia and Lalit Suhagiya to Visavdar to ask former GPP workers to work for Bharat. They told local former GPP workers that GPP has merged with BJP and all party workers should actively work for Bharat Patel for national interest. Zadafia and Suhagiya told party men that if they are unhappy with Bharat, they are free to not to vote for him in future, but this election is crucial for nation, and everyone must ensure victory of BJP candidate.

Congress candidates know they have to win on their own

Though many candidates of BJP are weak this time, they may survive this election due to party’s good organization, Congress’s weak organization, BJP government in power in the state and Narendra Modi as PM candidate. During the assembly elections, Narendra Modi extensively tours across Gujarat and visits almost every place to address the people, however during Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi most of the time travels outside the state. In his absence the state level canvassing turns into local battles which harms party’s weak candidates. Congress candidates know that they need to win on their own, while a weak lot of BJP candidates rely on Modi’s mega wave.

Sonia Gandhi’s effigies burnt by Congress workers

“Narendra Rawat is a person who keeps Congress party alive in Vadodara,” said an angry women worker of Congress from Vadodara. Rawat won primary poll held by Congress party but was asked to withdraw his candidature reportedly over a phone call by central Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. Rawat was replaced with Madhusudan Mistry. Congress workers, angry over this decision burnt two effigies of Sonia Gandhi in Vadodara on Tuesday night. Congress had to push former state party president Siddharth Patel to cool down the anger. Siddharth held a meeting with local unit of Congress workers and asked them to accept Madhusudan Mistry as candidate. On the other hand, Modi loyalist Gujarat minister Saurabh Patel who is MLA from Vadodara is holding series of meeting to ensure Modi’s victory on Vadodara seat with highest margin possible nationally.

Harin Pathak – Rajnath Singh meeting

Gujarati newspaper today published a report quoting sources on what happened to Ahmedabad East MP Harin Pathak when he went to meet party’s national president Rajnath Singh in Delhi this week. The report says, when Pathak demanded ticket in 2009, party leadership told him that it was not possible. When Pathak said he would like to contest for the last time, party reminded him that he had said same to get ticket in the past too. Pathak then was ready to give it in writing that he would not demand ticket again in future. Party gave him ticket for the last time in 2009 only after Pathak promised in writing that he would not demand ticket in future. When Pathak seemed sulking, Rajnath Singh called him over phone and invited to Delhi. Next day when Pathak reached Rajnath’s place in Delhi, Rajnath showed Harin a letter and scold him for breaching his promise. Rajnath told Pathak that he was busy as there were many other visitors. Pathak had to leave the place.

A 7-term MP from Ahmedabad Harin Pathak has been replaced with Paresh Rawal as Ahmedabad East seat candidate. Pathak held a press conference early this week and told media persons that he would convey his decision to media after meeting supporters in three-four days. Later Dehgam town in Pathak’s constituency observed strike and burnt effigy of Paresh Rawal. Couple of hours after his meeting with Rajnath, Pathak stopped speaking to media persons.