It’s still a burning issue

The battle for Godhra resembles a 1992 by-election this time, with the same candidates fighting each other, but from rival camps. So C.K. Raulji, the current Congress candidate, contested on a BJP ticket in 1992 and defeated Congress’ s Prabhatsinh Chauhan, who is currently the BJP candidate. However, in 2002 elections, Chauhan (by now in the BJP) managed to defeat Congress’ Raulji by 12,000 votes in the Kalol constituency. This, despite the fact that Panchmahals’ constituencies comprise a significant 50 per cent Muslim population; it was the VHP’s inroads into rural Godhra that helped the BJP win in 2002.

Now, the BJP is desperate to retain Godhra, if only for the psychological edge. As senior BJP leaders say, “Narendra Modi said that even if we win 130 seats, it is Godhra which will be spoken about.”

Traditionally, Godhra has always voted for a candidate rather than a political party. Raulji won the elections twice in a row, in 1990 and 1995, first under the Janata Dal and later as a BJP man. In fact, it was Raulji’s candidature that forced the BJP to replace sitting MLA Haresh Bhatt with Chauhan, the Minister for Tribal Affairs, and long-time BJP victor from Kalol.

For the voter in Godhra—Hindu, Muslim, tribal or OBC—riots have overtaken all issues of progress, as has been the case for the past five years. The city received its biggest blow when the Panchmahals Cooperative Bank, with 48 branches all over the district, closed down in 2003 because of poor performance. This was followed by the shutting down of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee, transport businesses and the migration of white-collar jobs to cities like Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Shehra.

The resentment is understandable among Muslims: those who escaped the riots were either displaced or lost their means of livelihood, even as a 100-odd Muslims, suspected to have set the Sabarmati train on fire, still languish in prison after being arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The Hindus—Patels, Darbars and OBCs—are equally discontented owing to the loss of business.

How the prevailing despair translates into votes now remains to be seen.