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As the main opposition party, the Congress is on the front foot, and this time around, it is for the ruling BJP to answer questions.
The change has been noticed. To the Gujarati voter, neither the Gujarat Congress nor Rahul Gandhi are what they used to be. For a long time, the Congress used the tag line ‘Navsarjan Gujarat’ (Gujarat’s resurgence). Now, more than the state, it is the party that is seeing resurgence.
In the run-up to the elections, Rahul had posed a question a day to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Twitter, of which the sixth one stated: “Double whammy by the BJP. On one hand, there are unemployed youth and on the other hand lakhs of people are on fixed pay and contract basis.” He questioned the low pay for contract workers that ignored the guidelines of the Seventh Pay Commission.
In other tweets, he asked why Gujarat is ranked 26th when it comes to spending money on education and called into question the purchase of electricity at high rates from private power companies.
Leading from the front, Rahul has shown the people that he has come out of Sonia Gandhi’s shadow. He gets responses at public meetings and road shows. Most important, as the main opposition party, the Congress is on the front foot, and this time around, it is for the ruling BJP to answer questions.
Demonetisation, GST and favours to certain industrial houses are concerns he has raised. He had also quipped about the vikas gando thayo che (development has gone berserk) issue that was trending. Rahul mingles with people, takes selfies and eats at roadside joints. This makes the average Congress worker feel that he is one of them.
Political worker Sukhdev Patel, however, feels that Rahul would have to bring up newer issues that people face. “Repeatedly talking about the Rs 32,000 crore given to TATA’s Nano project won’t yield much results after some time,” he said.
Over two decades of anti-incumbency, unemployment, farmers’ issues and unrest among the Patidars, OBCs and dalits have made people consider the Congress option. Patidar stir leader Hardik Patel says, “You have to choose between mahachor (big thief) and chor (thief).”
One thing that could influence fence-sitters is the BJP’s warning that if the Congress comes to power, there would be curfew. The BJP has boasted about maintaining a violence-free society. Patel’s answer to it: “The ones who were instrumental in violence are in power. So how will violence take place?”
Regardless of the stereotypes, the Congress has seen an opportunity to regain power. Said state Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi, “Teams sent by Rahul have been camping in Gujarat for the last several months and meeting people.” They also met ticket aspirants.
To build the network, the Congress asked those who wished to contest to name 15 persons per booth who could help the candidate. There are 250-280 booths in each assembly segment. Despite this, there is no comparison to the BJP’s foot soldiers at booth levels. For the rest, the Congress relied on the workers of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, its new ally. The PAAS, though not directly asking people to vote for the Congress, has been urging them to throw out the BJP.
The Congress is also banking on the OBC supporters of Alpesh Thakore and dalit supporters of Jignesh Mevani, who is contesting as an independent from Vadgam, to chip in at the booth level. Shankersinh Vaghela, who quit the party and is heading the Jan Vikalp Morcha, is unlikely to affect the Congress as his new party has no big names.
With the Congress’s show of strength, Modi has been compelled to address a string of meetings and party president Amit Shah has remained in his home state since Diwali. All cabinet ministers are campaigning as well.
The optimistic mood is reflected in the number of ticket aspirants. According to Doshi, over 2,000 party leaders and workers had sought to contest. Out of the 182 assembly seats, the Congress is contesting in 176. It has an arrangement with Chhotu Vasava’s party—Bharatiya Tribal Party—for the five seats in south Gujarat, and with Mevani for the seat in Vadgam.
Party sources said that discussions over ticket distributions were going smoothly until Hardik Patel, Thakore and Mevani came into the picture. While Hardik has stated that he did not ask for tickets, party sources said that he suggested names of Congress aspirants. Two PAAS workers were given tickets, following which they resigned from the Samiti.
More trouble took place handling the OBCs. There have been disagreements regarding a few seats in north Gujarat, where the Patidar agitation could work in favour of the opposition. Admits state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki: “The problems in north Gujarat are settling down. We are winning Visnagar and Bechraji seats, where there are problems.”
Said Gujarat Congress women’s wing president Sonal Patel, “Because of the BJP facing anti-incumbency, I have been able to see a new set of people with the Congress getting active. There has been a lot of acceptance of the Congress and that is a sea change.” She claims that the Congress is getting unprecedented support in Mehsana, north Gujarat and Surat.
Like the BJP, the Congress, too, announced the candidates at the last minute but since the electioneering began early, there have been lots of constituencies in which the party finished its first round of door-to-door campaigns.
Party sources said that AICC general secretary and in-charge for the party in Gujarat, Ashok Gehlot, played a major role in convincing rebels to withdraw in favour of the Congress candidates.
Solanki is confident that his party would win 125 seats. “Anti-incumbency, the arrogance of the government, angry sections of society and the Congress talking of Human Development Index and Happiness Index will fetch us votes.”
