Packing a punchline: Why Modi’s ‘We Built this Gujarat’ has a familiar ring

The BJP first came to power in Gujarat in 1995 when Keshubhai Patel became the chief minister. In the run-up to that historic election, the party coined a slogan that resonated with voters — “Bhay, bhukh, bhrashtachar mukta Gujarat (Gujarat free of fear, hunger and corruption).” The elections were held in the years after the churn caused by the Ayodhya Ram Temple movement and the demolition of the Babri Masjid and on the back of its message of change the BJP ended up winning 121 seats.

A senior BJP worker with deep knowledge of the party’s electoral slogans said, “It (the 1995 slogan) was referring to the situation prevalent in Gujarat then like the communal riots and presence of Abdul Latif (the late underworld gangster who was later killed in a police encounter) in Ahmedabad.”

Three years later, when the BJP faced went into the Assembly elections in the aftermath of Shankersinh Vaghela’s rebellion, its slogan was “BJP no Nirdhar: Salamat, Samrudhdha, Swabhimani, Samras Gujarat (BJP’s determination: Safe, prosperous, self-respectful and harmonious Gujarat)”.

But this was not as successful as the previous one and failed to catch on. The BJP worker said, “Coming in the wake of the infamous rebellion of Vaghela, the sentiment towards BJP was so strong at that time that no need for an emphatic slogan was felt.”

The Assembly elections in 2002 were held at a time when the Godhra train burning and the communal riots that followed were still fresh in people’s minds.

“Like 1998, the elections of 2002 were fought in the strong backdrop of the riots and so it was the strongest public sentiment driving the elections. The party, however, did have a slogan attached to its manifesto — Paanch karod Gujaratio no Hitrakshak – BJP (Protector of five crore Gujaratis’ interests — BJP)”. However, the Gaurav Yatra launched by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi was so popular that it was talked about more than anything else in those elections.”

In 2007, BJP contested the elections under Modi’s leadership using the “Jitega Gujarat (Gujarat will win)” slogan. At the time, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power at the Centre. The slogan reflected the intention of proclaiming that despite the alleged injustices the Centre was doing to Gujarat, the state would prevail.

Modi was credited with coining the slogan the BJP used during the 2012 Assembly polls. The year before, the then chief minister had come up with “Sauno Sath, Sauno Vikas (Inclusive growth, collective effort)” during his Sadbhavna Mission.

Five years later, the BJP faced the elections amid anger among the Patidar community for the manner in which the ruling party dealt with its quota agitation in 2015-’16. In the run-up to the elections, the BJP found it difficult to counter the Patidars’ punchline “Vikas Gando Thayo Chhe (Development has gone mad)” that was popular on social media at the time. The party came up with “Hu Chhu Gujarat, Hu Chhu Vikas (I am Gujarat, I am development)”.