Gujarat Confidential: Taste of victory

‘United’ in Defeat

THE BJP’S defeat in the Narmada district panchayat elections has apparently achieved what years of party meetings, visits to Delhi and “coordination committees” could not. It seems to have brought together Bharuch MP Mansukh Vasava and Nandod MLA Darshana Deshmukh – who until recently were known more for cold stares than warm handshakes. Deshmukh and Vasava held a closed-door “introspection” meeting in Rajpipla to analyse the defeat, apparently agreeing that the BJP unit itself is to blame. Deshmukh, accused by Vasava of supporting AAP’s Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava, pointed out how AAP still managed to pull thousands of votes despite the BJP’s win in the urban areas. Party workers watched in amazement as the ‘bitter rivals’ nodded in agreement, proving that in politics, defeat is the strongest coalition builder. Meanwhile, the BJP district president Neel Rao’s absence from the meeting added suspense to the new development. Vasava said, “The BJP government has been carrying out development work in tribal areas by building new schools, colleges, hospitals, and roads in forest regions… We have done what Congress could not do in 50 years but the shift of the tribal vote bank toward AAP is a cause for concern and introspection.”