BJP’s ‘Modi ki Guarantee’ pitch, devoid of local issues, has voters disappointed in Bharuch

The BJP leader is facing a first-time Lok Sabha contender in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava, who is INDIA bloc’s candidate. Chaitar has been projected as a ‘youth icon’, especially among the tribals.

Bharuch — which has comfortably been held by tribal MPs of the BJP since 1989 despite being a ‘general seat’ — has turned into a high-stakes battle after the Congress, amid much internal unrest, made way for Chaitar as part of the alliance’s seat-sharing deal. Many in the grand old party were averse to the idea of giving away the seat, which had been in the past represented by Congress veteran Ahmed Patel and others.

The constituency has a total of 13 candidates in the fray, including the Bharat Adivasi Party’s Dilip Vasava, son of seven-term Jhagadia MLA Chhotubhai Vasava who was Chaitar’s mentor once upon a time.  There are eight independent candidates, four of whom belong to the minority community that constitutes about 25 per cent of the voters while ST voters constitute around 39 per cent. .

While the mention of Ram Mandir is given a miss, Mansukh Vasava’s pitch is constant even at the gatherings in the neighbourhoods dominated by minorities.

A provision store owner in Kothi village, however, says he expects more from his elected representative. “The BJP cannot overshadow the conversation around development. The condition of the roads in most talukas of the district, especially in the industrial belt, is poor; several government schools have been merged or shut. Despite the MP raising the issues, it has not been taken care of for several years… How long can the party ride on a receding wave?” he asks.

In the tribal areas such as Dediapada and Sagbara, concerns have emerged over the land acquisition for upcoming tourism projects — including a wildlife sanctuary, a highway connecting the tribal belt of the region as well as the ecotourism plans in Mal Samot, the village adopted by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar.  “The state government had declared an eco-sensitive zone in 121 villages of Narmada that made the government co-owner on land records… They are acquiring villages and we fear displacement. They (BJP) also acted against our MLA (Chaitar Vasava) from the constituency when he fought for a farmer,” says a resident of tribal-dominated Dediapada.

A case was filed last year in November against the AAP leader and others over the alleged assault on forest officials in October. Chaitar Vasava surrendered on December 14 after he was missing for over a month. He was granted conditional bail in January.

The voter dissatisfaction due to the unresolved local issues seems to have given a boost to Chaitar in his Lok Sabha contest. Along with his colleagues from INDIA bloc, in his campaign, the AAP leader has been stressing on local issues — unemployment, lack of school teachers, and forest land rights of tribals. Calling himself “the son of tribals”, he labelled his recent arrest as the BJP’s “anti-tribal mindset”.  He has also raised the issue of the “bogus government offices” in Dahod and Chhota Udepur, which allegedly siphoned funds meant for the tribal-sub plan.

Ironically. the disenchantment also echoes among members of the BJP, especially as at least 33 villages of four talukas have announced boycott of the polls due to “discrimination in compensation” for the lands acquired for the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway — one of the three major infrastructure projects under the Modi regime to pass through the district apart from the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet project and the Dedicated Freight Corridor. Narendra Patel, Sarpanch of Karela village and a member of the BJP’s Yuva Morcha, says, “At least 32 villages, comprising a mixed population in Bharuch, Amod, Hansot and Ankleshwar talukas have boycotted the upcoming polls… Landowners like us have received just Rs 20 lakh per acre as compensation for giving away our prime land for the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway, whereas for the same project landowners in Valsad, Navsari and Surat received compensations upto Rs 1.4 crores per acre. This will certainly dent the vote share of the BJP in the district and the party is aware of it.”

Residents of Matar, Danda and Dora in Amod taluka are also among those boycotting the polls. Subhash Patel, a representative of the association of villagers, says, “We will vote only if the government resolves the issue of compensation for which we have been fighting since 2017… None of the candidates have arrived yet to campaign. We are not against Mansukh Vasava because we know that he has raised the issue in the Lok Sabha and has accompanied but there is no political will… Even Chaitar has raised the issue in the Gujarat Assembly… But if land owners of the constituency, who cooperated in building infrastructure projects that the regime boasts of, do not matter, why should we vote?”

However, Mansukh Vasava is confident of pulling a win for the BJP with a lead of over five lakh votes — a target set by the state BJP chief CR Paatil. “People have unshakeable faith in Modi saheb. The Opposition has been making allegations that no development work has taken place but the fact is that we have built roads in remote areas, introduced irrigation projects, water supply projects as well as other welfare schemes. The Ram Mandir definitely resonates with the tribals as Lord Rama lived as a vanvasi (forest dweller) for 14 years,” he says at an election meeting.

Unfazed by the challenge of Mansukh Vasava’s 2019 lead of 3.34 lakh votes, Chaitar expresses confidence that he will win the seat by 50,000 votes. “It is there for the people to see that the BJP is not confident enough to contest the polls on the grounds of development. They are on the backfoot as they know emotive campaigns will not work in their favour this time… We are only trying to raise the real issues. I am sure we will stage an upset and give Mansukh Vasava the much-needed break.”