Gujarat’s 20-year campaign focuses on Modi’s term, leaves out party’s past CMs

Keshubhai, a prominent Patidar leader, is regarded as among those who built the foundations of the party in Gujarat. Anandiben, the state’s first woman CM, resigned following the Patidar quota agitation led by Hardik Patel and is now the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. She was succeeded by Rupani, who was changed in the middle of his term and replaced by the current CM in September last year.

As part of the campaign, 82 Vande Gujarat mini-trucks or vikas rath have been touring villages and cities across the state. The trucks, equipped with LED screens, screen short documentary films showcasing the “progress of the last 20 years”.

In all, 2,500 programmes will be held across the state with local authorities dedicating or laying foundation stones of public works. Camps on various government schemes will also be organised at various places along with cultural events and cleanliness campaigns.

At the launch of the yatra, a short film screened on the Sabarmati River front featured a narrator addressing the younger generation and saying that while they have only seen a “prosperous” Gujarat, the state had earlier seen “dark days with no power supply and with water scarcity” and witnessed communal riots. The film adds how, with “the arrival of Narendrabhai (as CM in 2001), happiness greeted every household in the state”.

Similarly, a booklet launched by the Gujarat government on the Vande Gujarat initiative compares several sectors such as animal husbandry, electricity, law and order and education across two broad phases – 1947-2002 and 2002-2022. On agriculture, for instance, the booklet says that while in the first phase, the farmer of Gujarat was “dependent”, the second phase saw farmers becoming “atmanirbhar (self-reliant)”. The only leaders whose photographs feature in the booklet are Modi and Bhupendra Patel.

When asked about the absence of any mention of Keshubhai Patel or other BJP chief ministers in the Vande Gujarat programme, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, veteran BJP leader and Dholka MLA, who is part of the Ahmedabad leg of the campaign, said, “It should not be seen like that. Since our programme coincides with eight years of Narendrabhai (Modi) at the Centre, we focused on the period between 2002 and 2022. Which is why there is no mention of Keshubhai in the programme literature. Though the slogan is 20 varsh no vishwas, 20 varsh no vikas (trust of 20 years, development of 20 years), our speeches mention the work done during the tenure of Keshubhai (Patel). We also talk of our other CMs – Anandiben (Patel) and Vijaybhai (Rupani).”

Chudasama has worked as minister in multiple BJP governments in the state, including that of Keshubhai Patel, Suresh Mehta, Modi, Anandiben and Rupani.

A senior minister who did not wish to be named said that while the 20 years between 2002 and 2022 were “continuous and emphatic”, Keshubhai’s tenure witnessed the uncomfortable rebellion led by Shankersinh Vaghela and the split of the party in 1996 – not quite publicity material for the party.

The minister insisted that Kesbhubhai had not been ignored. “The fact is that it was Keshubhai’s government formed in 1995 that began the development. Then from 2002, under Narendrabhai, the pace picked up. As far as Anandiben and Vijaybhai are concerned, there is no need to include their names since all of us are working under the leadership of Narendrabhai at the Centre,” the minister added.

However, a senior Gujarat BJP party office bearer admitted that Keshubhai’s term should have been included in the campaign. “The programme is meant to convey the message that the BJP is doing good work. So how can you leave out Keshubhai, who was the founder of the party in Gujarat and who laid the foundation of various projects such as the Gokul Gram Yojana for rural development and the construction of the Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway (that linked Saurashtra region to the rest of the state).”

Another leader said, “Apparently, the programme seems to have been designed purely as a marketing strategy with the focus on what sells best. Currently, Modi sells best for the party so the focus has been kept on him. Also, the focus on two decades looks catchy.”

The Vande Gujarat campaign is expected to wind up on July 19.