Maninagar: Modi’s tested, tried

Chief Minister Narendra Modi couldn’t have chosen a safer seat for entry into the Gujarat Assembly. Maninagar is a predominantly middle...

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Chief Minister Narendra Modi couldn’t have chosen a safer seat for entry into the Gujarat Assembly. Maninagar is a predominantly middle-class Hindu locality, a traditional bastion of the BJP. The majority of voters are businessmen, traders and the salaried, with the few slums accounting for migrant labourers, Dalits and Muslims.

Modi, incidentally, was also a voter in this constituency for many years; he even lived at the local RSS headquarters Hegdewar Bhawan at Bhairawnath Road during his early years as a pracharak.

• Total voters: 3.70 lakh
• Hindu 3.40 lakh
• Christians 10,000
• Muslims 20,000

That is not to say, however, that the chief minister’s decision to contest from here has been welcomed with open arms. While some label it a matter of pride, others are more circumspect about the candidature of the man they perceive as having advocated the post-Godhra violence. ‘‘It is a shame I belong to the constituency from where Modi will be contesting. Hundreds of people died in the post-Godhra violence and he did nothing to control the riots. It’s sickening,’’ says college student Ranjit Rao of Maninagar East. ‘‘People should use their vote to register their disapproval of the riots.’’

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Hemant Shah of Khokhra, however, is confident that Modi will win. ‘‘I am quite happy that he’s contesting from the area. It’s been a BJP stronghold for years, and now that Modi is contesting, they will certainly win,’’ he says. ‘‘The riots have not dented his popularity,’’ adds Mahesh Vyas, also of Maninagar. ‘‘He is a capable leader and the best CM Gujarat has ever had.’’

AT THE HUSTINGS

• 1998: Kamlesh Patel (BJP) defeated Vijay Kella (Cong)
• 1995: Kamlesh Patel (BJP) defeated C Hirachand (Cong)
• 1990: Kamlesh Patel (BJP) defeated Jayantilal Kapasi (JD)

In Muslim-dominated Millatnagar, opinions are as vehement, and stances as clear. ‘‘In this election, issues like employment, drinking water and drainage do not matter,’’ says Imtiyazbhai Pathan. ‘‘After the riots, we have no option but to vote for someone other than Narendra Modi.’’ Bystanders join in the conversation, recalling how, after a few quiet days post-Godhra, outsiders came and started the fire. ‘‘How can I vote for a person responsible for burning our houses?’’ asks Rehana Bibi.

At Amraiwadi, a hub of cattle-owners cutting across caste lines, Jethabhai Amthabhai says, ‘‘This is a BJP stronghold, plus the candidate is the CM himself. So I think they’ll win, even though the Congress recently won the municipal elections from this ward.’’ What about the Godhra aftermath? Won’t that dent Modi’s chances? ‘‘The riots were a fallout of the anger of the people after Godhra, I don’t hold Narendra Modi responsible for that,’’ he replies.

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There are no surprises in a dipstick poll conducted across bungalows, row houses, tenements and apartment blocks in Rambaug, Krishnabaug, Pushpakunj, Vallabhwadi, Bhairavnath, Maniasa Society and others areas of the constituency. These are traditional BJP pockets; sitting MP and Union Minister of State for Defence Harin Pathak himself lives at Pushpakunj.

‘‘We are happy Modi has chosen this constituency. His popularity has increased here since the riots,’’ says Kalyanbhai Joshi of Vallabhwadi.

Adds Kamlesh Patel, who vacated the seat for Modi, ‘‘Any BJP candidate would have won from this seat. Now that the CM is contesting, the party will win with a record margin.’’

This constituency is one example of the candidate deciding the election, instead of issues like drinking water, sanitation facilities and bad roads. Across the board, however, voters are resigned to the fact these problems will not be addressed. Ah well, there’s always another election five years away.