Party hopper

Pabhubha Virambha Manek believes in being on the winning side...

Pabhubha Virambha Manek believes in being on the winning side8212;it doesn8217;t really matter if he has to switch sides in the process. Of the four elections he has won, three have been as an Independent and one as a Congressman. But this time, he is fighting on a BJP ticket.

And if political parties are only too willing to woo him, it8217;s largely due to his financial clout. Manek, the only sitting MLA from a de-notified community in the state, paid Rs 72 lakh as income tax last year. A real-estate and shipping magnet, and a seasoned politician, Manek is contesting from Dwarka for the fifth time.

While the BJP readily gave him the party ticket, people in Dwarka say Manek stands to gain too. He needs the ruling party8217;s support for his real estate and shipping business in Okha. He is also worried about his steadily eroding winning margin. While in 1990, he had won with 13.19 per cent votes, it came down to 11.82 per cent in 1995 and further down to 7.01 per cent in 1998. In 2002, he managed to retain 6.19 per cent of the votes.

Party workers in Dwarka agree that it was Manek8217;s financial muscles that helped him get the ticket. 8220;Until last time, we spent money from our own pockets during the campaign,8221; said a young activist, 8220;But this time, Manek took care of the expenses.8221;

But those in the BJP who have been denied a ticket haven8217;t taken Manek8217;s entry too well. 8220;The Congress8217;s Patramalbha is a strong candidate and not so much in-your-face as Manek is. This is going to be a very close contest,8221; said a worker at the BJP election office in Dwarka.

The Vagher community, whom Manek represents, is still grappling with his shift of allegiance from the BJP to the Congress. 8220;Last time, during a community feast at Dwarkadheesh temple, we had asked him just this,8221; said Rushubha Somania, a Vagher. Instead of giving us a clear answer, Manek said, 8216;Well, you should be proud that your community representative is such a sought-after man.8217;8221;

Manek started his political career as an Independent candidate in 1990 and stayed an Independent MLA for the next three terms. In 2002, he made it to the Assembly on a Congress ticket. In 2007, he joined the BJP.