Victims keep BJP doubtful in its den

The constituency witnessed large-scale rioting after the Godhra incident and 38 persons died. The scars of the communal violence are still very much in evidence. At Aman Chowk, some residents of Noor Kazi Ni Chawl have returned to stay. They have bitter memories of the riots and say that they will come out in large numbers to vote this time.

Hassan Sheikh, who owned a mutton shop near Bhidbhanjan Hanuman at Bapunagar, said, ‘‘The shop was ransacked and we had to seek the help of relatives for many months. I will vote for a party that will ensure peace in this area,’’ he said.

But BJP candidate Gordhan Zadaphia, a former VHP man and Minister of State for Home who is seeking his third consecutive term, says Hindutva is not the lone election issue this time.

He claims he has spent the maximum money from the MLA’s local area development fund for providing basic facilities: ‘‘I am the first MLA to open an office which has not closed even for a minute since 1995…Even during the riots, I tried to bring the two communities together. I got a police chowki set up at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium.’’ But he admits that the recent riots will an issue: ‘‘Yes, people wouldn’t forget that.’’

Pankaj Mistry, a carpenter, certainly can’t. ‘‘I had to keep my shop at Limda Chowk closed for two months because of the riots. I will not vote for a party that didn’t ensure peace,’’ he says, without naming any party.

Congress candidate Himmatsingh Patel says he will concentrate mainly on two issues — failure of the state government on the development front and its inability to contain violence that resulted in many deaths and loss of property worth crores. Campaigning at Diamond Market area of Bapunagar, Patel said, ‘‘I have been telling people to vote for the Congress if they want peace and prosperity. It is for everybody to see what the BJP has given.’’

Although Patel is city Mayor, basic facilities like drinking water, drainage and good roads are a problem in the constituency. ‘‘This is an Assembly election. I have been talking mainly about the state government’s performance,’’ Patel said.

Rakhial has 1.75 lakh voters which includes 30,000 Patels, 35,000 Muslims and 20,000 Dalits. The constituency also has more than 50,000 non-Gujarati voters from northern states, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The Patels own the diamond units of Bapunagar and Rakhial.

Karsan Navadia, a diamond worker in Patel Estate on Bapunagar main road, says he will vote for Zadaphia because he is also a Saurashtrian Patel. ‘‘I identify with him. There is no other reason,’’ said Navadia. Hundreds of migrant labourers from Saurashtra work in diamond units of Bapunagar which might work to Zadaphia’s advantage.

Zadaphia’s public meetings have not seen the presence of Narendra Modi. Instead, Keshubhai Patel has addressed two public meetings in the constituency and Harin Pathak one. ‘‘I am trying to fix up a meeting of Modi, but nothing is concrete yet,’’ Zadaphia said, denying any rift between him and the CM. Zadaphia is considered a close confidante of Keshubhai.