‘Running a party not part-time job… You don’t know even own workers… unable to tell donkey from horse’: Ex-Gujarat Cong chief Arjun Modhwadia

So, even former minister Babu Bokhiria, who was my rival in successive elections, has welcomed me… The reason is that a political worker thinks of the changes he can bring in people’s lives. Position, prestige, etc, are byproducts.

When Modi became CM (of Gujarat), he tried to bring about a change and managed to do that. Now, he is trying to do the same in the country.

Do you think the BJP’s slogan ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ applies to constituencies won by Opposition parties?

Not in my experience. No one in the government has ever said ‘No’ to me whenever I have approached them with issues, big or small, but if one wants to bring about a big change, it is natural that you want both governments (state and the Centre) by your side. Take for example the bullet train project. It got a booster dose when Narendrabhai moved to Delhi and a BJP government continued in Gujarat… The Statue of Unity became a reality because the (Central) government backed it wholly. We used to mock the project. But today, 60 lakh tourists visit it every year. I myself used to mock the Rann Utsav, saying who would go to a desert for a carnival. But Dhordo village (venue of the Rann Utsav in Kutch) recently won the award for the world’s best tourism village.

When the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad was developed, it was spread over 165 acres. It was a huge ashram… But those who were managing its affairs kept selling land, and today, it’s reduced to just five acres. Recently, Narendrabhai laid the foundation stone of the project to develop the Sabarmati Ashram precincts. Even for Modi Saheb, it wouldn’t have been possible if he weren’t there (in Delhi). Obviously, the Opposition can’t force a change in government policies, but it never was the case that odd works in your constituency would be blocked. But if you want to change policy, you either have to win power or become a partner in power.

You participated in a Vibrant Gujarat event in Porbandar in October 2023, while still in the Congress.

I attended the event in the interest of Porbandar. I had not made up my mind (about joining the BJP) at that time. The problem was the void left in the party in the absence of Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Ahmed Patel… It was not due to any problems in the state unit. But in Delhi, decisions are taken by non-political people — those who haven’t fought elections themselves or have got others to contest — those who have never worked at the grassroots, or haven’t understood the people’s problems. They have taken over the party only because they have studied at some particular institute, or are rubbing shoulders with bigwigs, or have good oratory and drafting skills.

Due to this, the Congress has today lost even the status of the Opposition party in the legislature. In fact, now there is a big question mark on the very existence of the party unit. I tried for seven-eight years to change the state of affairs. But nothing happened, while innumerable others like myself quit. The relationship between the workers and the leaders is broken.

What was the last straw?

Running a (political) party can’t be a part-time job. Your job is not done by merely addressing a public meeting and criticising Modi. You have to draw the people in and connect with them… The Congress’ stand on the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is one example. You don’t give a damn about what the people’s sentiments are… Here is a scenario wherein you are not connecting even with your own workers, not even your close colleagues… They are unable to identify who is powerful and who isn’t. They are unable to tell a donkey from a horse. So, there was a series of events whose details I don’t want to go into. I felt that I won’t be able to change the state of affairs. In such a scenario, if someone like Narendrabhai and Amitbhai (Shah), against whom I have fought for many years with full commitment to the party (Congress)… invite you sincerely to join their party, I don’t think anyone would like to continue in the suffocating environment…

Almost a year before the 2022 elections, I had warned the (Congress) leadership… that in Gujarat, we were fighting an existential battle. The perception was that the Congress was nowhere, and this needed to be changed… However, an aide of a very senior leader who was present told me it was I who was conceding defeat before contesting the elections.

Cases against many Opposition leaders have been withdrawn after they defected to the BJP. How do you see that?

Cases are not disposed of by the government but by courts. Secondly, people are making allegations that the ED (Enforcement Directorate), CBI, Income Tax department, etc are being weaponised. Entire India and Gujarat know that I was a very aggressive leader while in the Opposition. But the ED never ever bothered me… Nor have I seen faces of CBI or I-T officers. Not even a police constable has ever knocked on my doors… There can’t be smoke without fire… If you have taken money in the liquor policy, you should be prepared to go to jail.

How will you explain your change of heart to the people of Porbandar while campaigning for the bypoll?

Actually, there was a lot of pressure on me from my people, who were telling me that my energies were not being utilised there (in the Congress), but would be put to good use here (in the BJP)… The BJP is very strong here as is evident from the fact that it is ruling the taluka panchayat, district panchayat and municipality and also holds the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat. Whatever Congress support existed was there because of me…. People would have been disappointed if I hadn’t made this decision.

Do you see a difference from when you fought an election as part of the Congress?

In the Congress, a candidate has to do a lot of preparations. But in the BJP, workers are more prepared than their candidates. This is the fundamental difference. And the hierarchy of command is so well-knit, beginning from panna pramukh to the all-India president of the BJP. Also, responsibilities are well defined… and there is a team to monitor all of this.

Were you confident that the BJP will give you a ticket?

The BJP gives work of some type or the other to each of its workers. Therefore, I was expecting that it will allot me something… That said, it wasn’t as if the BJP couldn’t do without me. It has won all the 26 (Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat) in the past, and it is going to repeat that this time too. It won 156 of the 182 Assembly seats (in Gujarat in the 2022 Assembly elections) and four-five more will be added to that tally…

BJP leaders are accused of complicity in violence around the time of the Babri Masjid demolition and in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Those who indulged in rioting were booked and sent to jail. This happened even though there was a BJP government here. No one asks anyone to take the law into their own hands… The fact is that the Ram temple has been constructed as per the orders of the Supreme Court… Modi was elected PM 10 years ago but he waited for the Supreme Court judgment. Before that, he didn’t even go there for darshan… No political party ever participates in or supports communal riots in the country.

Ideology, loyalty, power — in what order would you arrange these?

All three of them walk together. By the way, what do we mean by ideology? We should all try to make people’s lives better. You do it your way, and I shall do it my way. For example, I continue to respect Mahatma Gandhi… but why didn’t hypocrites who hide behind Gandhian ideals undertake the development of the Sabarmati Ashram?

What is the message to the Congress and other parties when senior leaders like you defect to the BJP?

If there is any message, it is of atmakhoj (introspection).