By Japan K Pathak

It’s Anandiben’s show

In initial phase of campaign season for local body polls in Gujarat, the hoardings were seen across the city of Ahmedabad with photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, national party president Amit Shah, state Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and state BJP President RC Faldu present in one row. However the newspaper advertisements later published in all leading newspapers featured only the faces of Anandiben Patel and RC Faldu. It’s very clear that the Prime Minister and national party president who are both from Gujarat have kept distance from Gujarat local body polls. Micro management of Delhi is not visible at all. It’s hard to find any sign of micro management from Delhi so far as local body polls here are concerned. It’s hard to spot any sign of Modi’s treatment in campaign, slogans or manifesto. Modi who is a registered voter in Ranip area of Ahmedabad, didn’t come to cast his vote for Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC) election. Amit Shah came and cast his vote but didn’t speak to media persons. Three major faces whose campaign schedule was conveyed to media persons by state BJP media cell were Anandiben Patel, Parshottam Rupala and RC Faldu. Well, Rupala because he is good orator and Faldu because he is state party president. The actual face of this election is Anandiben. It is her test. It should be remembered that year 2012 Gujarat assembly poll was fought under the leadership of Narendra Modi almost in presidential election style. He was the Chief Ministerial candidate and the mandate was for him. Anandiben Patel became Chief Minister as Narendrabhai moved to Delhi to take oath as Prime Minister of India. I believe Anandiben would not be a face of party in year 2017 assembly elections as well. It is this election – the local body elections of year 2015 that is Anandiben’s test. Party has given all help and support, but finally the treatment is given in a way that it’s Anandiben’s show. It is her leadership at stake, it’s Gujarat BJP organization’s steel at stake. Here is the occasion to float Anandiben as independent leader, out of the shadow of two giants from same state.

Expected performance

What should be considered as satisfactory performance of Anandiben in local body polls? Well, BJP is ruling party here, and also ruling party in all municipal corporations, most of the district and taluka panchayats and nagarpalikas(municipalities). In that sense Congress has nothing to lose in these elections. For Congress, whatever earned will be considered as profit(in Gujarati proverb it’s called Vakro etlo nafo). If Congress party earns more votes, it will have a reason to smile, if Congress party earns more seats, it will have a reason to smile, if Congress party wins more panchayats, nagarpalika and even a single municipal corporation(out of total six that went to poll) it will have a reason to smile. But looking at present conditions, satisfactory performance of Congress would be above nearly or above 50% performance in Panchayat/Nagarpalikas(in terms of victory of bodies not candidates) and at least one municipal corporation under its control. For BJP, expectations are obviously higher. Victory of around or above 60% panchayat/nagarpalika bodies and all municipal corporations will be a satisfactory performance in present conditions when the party is in power from ‘Gali’ to ‘Dilli’ and after over twenty years of same-party rule, micro anti-incumbency if not mega-wave of anti-incumbency is visible in some pockets and sections.

Campaign that was

Former teacher and school principal Anandiben Patel’s campaign for local polls was started, proceed and concluded in text-book style. There was hardly anything newsy, entertaining or sensational in her campaign speeches. All headline hunter friends in media fraternity stayed disappointed with Anandiben’s speeches, as there was no fodder for them. No big promises, no attempt to play identity card, no attempt for caste/religions polarization, no major attacks on opponents, no tricky advertisements, no gimmick or diversion techniques. Anandiben’s campaign just centered around development, harmony, works done, health care and women. Such campaign was different from what we saw in Narendra Modi’s time. Remember that 2005 campaign ‘Begam Badshah nu ruja kadho’, ‘Biju kai nathi karyu Amdavad ma, bas panch varsh VS hospital no kabjo lidho chhe’ etc? And remember that 2010 campaign ‘Congress valaone Sardar na statue ni jaherat same vandho chhe. Ae loko to Sohrabuddin nu statue mukavshe Manek chowk ma.’ When civic poll campaign was dull, Modi as a Chief Minister had called a press conference to announce Sardar Patel’s tallest statue project. Stepping in a trap laid by Modi, Congress party protested this announcement terming is violation of model code of conduct. Modi capitalized it and termed Congress as anti-Sardar Patel. Anandiben Patel has on the contrary done Naveen Patnaik style campaign. Congress leaders have attempted all possible tricks in these elections, be it caste-divide or fierce attacks through series of press conferences and high-pitched campaign speeches, but does such approach in campaign pay off? Recent polls in Bihar and Delhi suggest they don’t, as they give sympathy to victim(here Anandiben).

Casteists and Panelists, in a TV studio

Recently in a TV studio, I found myself sitting with two gentlemen who claimed they were representing Patidar and Other Backward Class(OBC) community/group. The topic of discussion was local body polls, but content was largely centered around caste equations. I couldn’t resist and raised a question, why (the hell) in the last phase of the 15th year of 21st century we are still discussing castes ahead of polling? People of Gujarat are two steps ahead of the political and community leaders.Why we believe that some particular group or organization represents particular caste or community, and voters would caste their votes only as per their directive or call? Then there are several groups claiming to represent a single caste and within those groups there’s infighting! Are common voters of Gujarat as casteist as people sitting here in studio, or people who deliver speeches? Caste oriented agendas repeatedly went into dust in all past elections of recent years( listed here ). Then I was asked about the people gathered at GMDC ground. I replied that those people had gathered on that ground on the issue of reservation which affects them in education, job, promotions. Youths have burnt themselves in the past over this sensitive issue of reservation. But later when the movement took political turn, people started disassociating, and therefore when Hardik Patel was arrested while trying to hold reverse Dandi march in Surat, he was joined by less than two dozen persons. Just look at the figure of arrested persons on that day. Remember, it was a time when thousands of diamond industry workers were going to work and venue was also there. Then there were repeated briefings that 20,000 Patidars would march to UN headquarters during PM Modi’s visit. And actually there were hardly 20 odd people. Yes section of Patidar community is disappointed with govt due to arrests and police treatment following Patidar riots in the month of August, but hype around it we are witnessing, actually matching to reality? There are micro incumbencies, there are the issues of works done and works not done. Let people vote as per the works done and works not done, and stop going into caste oriented functions in the season of elections. In the break during this panel discussion, a TV anchor shared with us her Hardik Patel experience. She told us that Hardik Patel once sent text message to her mobile to inquire about her caste. She told us that she replied that she was Indian by caste. She said Hardik didn’t like her this reply and passed critical comment to which she reacted that she was offended by such question itself, why should Hardik inquire about her caste? A Congress spokespersons sitting in panel discussion told us that Hardik may have made mistake, byt we should forgive him and understand him as the entire government was against him and he was under pressure. To this I reacted that Hardik had in Surat based Dayro event asked people to call only those Patel by caste to perform in future events of Dayro(folk Gujarati music and literature event). This man is rabid casteist and one must not favor it. In this discussion Hardik Patel aide Ketan Patel attacked the BJP. When BJP spokesperson reacted that Ketan Patel is speaking like Congress spokesperson, the Congress panelist opposed such remark. Here I intervened and said Ketan Patel had addressed Congress campaign rally in Ghatlodiya a day before(my habit of field reporting at help). When asked by an anchor about community divide and current elections, I replied, ‘ for me it’s a matter of great interest to see whether Gujarat is still ‘ekmat’ or not. If you look at the last Lok Sabha polls, Gujarat gave one-way verdict. Even prior to that in assembly elections, Gujarat gave nearly 2/3rd majority to one party. Same happened in Panchayat/Nagarpalika/civic body polls before that. By and large the people of Gujarat have been united in their approach. Collective wisdom has been demonstrated by them. Let’s see this time, whether Gujarat is in one voice, or there are different verdicts section/region/caste and community wise! By the way the Patel panelists were during their discussion in break calling caste(Gyati) as community(Samaj). I corrected them that Samaj is way beyond the limitations of castes. They should not use the word Samaj when they are discussing Gyati.

Sky view amid street views

Have you read Yashwant Deshmukh’s piece on caste-politics and elections in Gujarat? Well I tweeted(which Yashwant retweeted) its link adding these words: Amid raining street views, Yashwant Deshmukh present sky-view. Here’s the link. Well Deshmukh says Patidars are 18%, but veteran political analyst/commentator/columnist Vidhyutbhai Thakar whom I met on Gujarati new year at his home believes it’s just 14%.

Right and good

Most of the friends in media have started writing obituary of BJP in reference to the local body polls. I must note that if it happens so due to anti-incumbency, it’s not unusual. In twenty years period, a new born child becomes voter. Imagine how long is this period! If it happens due to Patidar agitation(as my friends in media believe), so be it. I am proud of my state that has not given reservation to its core and most loyal voting class just because of the reason that doing so would not be just. In Maharashtra all parties agreed to give reservation to Maratha. Two political parties agreed to give reservation to Muslims.In Rajasthan, the government succumbed to a violent agitation and gave reservation to a particular community under political compulsion. But in Gujarat, the government had gut to deny reservation to politically strong and traditionally loyal class when local elections were approaching. When Patidar quota agitation was in its initial phase, I had penned down a piece in which I wrote, the government must do what is right to do and not just what is good to do. A young man representing Sardar Patel Group(SPG) recently showed me a govt document awarding OBC status to the people of two castes from Gujarat. He argued, ‘govt is lying that it can’t award reservation, look at this document, they have given reservation to these people just recently.’ To this I replied that govt took this decision after approval of OBC commission. I could promptly gave authentic detail because my website had published that story. I asked Patel youth to approach OBC commission to get reservation. Otherwise I said the court would reject reservation benefits given merely by govt for political reasons.

– DeshGujarat