The battle lines are now drawn. With the date for filing nominations closing on Thursday, the ruling BJP and the Congress have released their lists of candidates to contest the 87 seats in the first phase of the Gujarat elections on December 11. The Congress has renominated 21 sitting MLAs for the phase that will see Saurashtra/Kutch and South Gujarat go to the voting booth. The party has also introduced several new faces, including half-a-dozen woman candidates. It is putting up candidates in 82 of the constituencies, leaving four to ally NCP and one to the CPI(M).The names in the Congress list that attract attention include those of six sitting BJP rebel MLAs as well that of a sitting independent legislator. Of the BJP rebels, three are from Saurashtra, two from Kutch and one from Surat. The six had enrolled themselves as primary members of the Congress just before being given the party tickets. On its part, the BJP has dropped as many as 20 sitting legislators, including the seven who were suspended earlier. The saffron list shows 33 new faces, including 15 woman candidates. The war of words too has taken on a more strident tone. “The BJP has already won half the poll battle,” boasts BJP spokesperson Vijay Rupani. “We have been ahead of others in projecting our chief ministerial candidate.” For the ruling party, however, it will not be an easy road to victory. There is no emotive issue to help it trounce the Opposition like in post-Godhra 2002. And there is also the divided reaction within the Sangh Parivar to what is seen as Chief Minister’s Narendra Modi’s dictatorial style of functioning. The RSS has already announced its cadres will not be involved in the polls. Moreover, there is rebellion within the ranks, the six names in the Congress list being a stark reminder of what can be a damaging blow to the saffron party’s prospects. To the BJP’s chagrin, despite speculations about the reentry of Uma Bharti into the party, her Bharatiya Janshakti Party is fielding at least 25 candidates. “Umaji’s game plan is simple: field BJSP candidates from constituencies that have a sizeable Hindutva votes and cut into the BJP’s vote bank to ensure the defeat of both the ruling party and Modi,” says BJSP’s Gujarat chief Chaitanya Maharaj. The Congress is in a similar position, its hold on the traditional Dalit and Muslim votes slipping, with the Bahujan Samaj Party having fielded 82 candidates in the state. The Grand Old Party may, however, bolster its chances if it revives, as is being reported, its tested social coalition of KHAM: Kshatriyas, Harijans, Adivasis and Muslims. “The Kshatriyas are coming to our party fold,” claims Gujarat Congress spokesman Shaktisinh Gohil. “The poor and backward classes were never happy with the Modi regime. They all will vote for us.” The elections of 2007 will be interesting to watch. Both the BJP and the faction-ridden Congress are facing rebellion-like situations in several constituencies after the denial of ticket to their local leaders. In fact, the revolt is already brewing in both camps in districts like Surendranagar, Bhavnagar and Bharuch over the issue of ticket allotment. Whichever party manages the situation better could well reap electoral gains.
