Congress' Paresh Dhanani(L) and BJP leader Parshottam Rupala.
Credit: PTI File Photos
Rajkot: BJP leader Parshottam Rupala sang Tamara pag dhova dyo ne raghurai (Let me wash your feet Lord Ram) in the praise of Bhils, a sizable tribal community in Rajkot city, at an event organised by Samast Adivasi Bhil Samaj on April 27.
Rupala appeared unfazed but a little alert as he praised the Bhils for their contribution right from the days of Ramayana to the independence movement as the crowd applauded him.
Rupala's arrival, flanked by nearly two dozen alert men in uniform and plainclothes, underlined the threat he and his party candidates face in the wake of the Kshatriya agitation. A day earlier, Rupala had apologized once again for his remarks that erstwhile rulers broke bread with Britishers and married off their daughters.
"The erstwhile rulers (Kshatriyas) brought our ancestors to settle in Rajkot many years ago but that doesn't stop us from supporting a party we like. BJP has developed the city and also helped our community. In the past 20 years, the region has prospered with Narmada water reaching our doorstep, good roads, and improved connectivity, among others. Congress did nothing. The Kshatriyas may have their reasons, but I am voting for the BJP for sure," says Sanjay Rathod, in his mid-30s, standing at the entrance of the event with a walkie-talkie to secure the premises.
Rajkot, the BJP forte in Saurashtra, is one of the four largest cities in the state along with Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat. The Lok Sabha constituency comprises seven Assembly seats, all with the BJP. Like elsewhere in the state, the BJP has weakened the Congress by taking its leaders into its fold, including Kunvarji Bavaliya. Bavaliya won the Rajkot Lok Sabha seat in 2009 as a Congress candidate, the only time since 1989. He switched over to the BJP in 2018.
Congress was nowhere in the contest until April 7, when Rupala made the remarks, upsetting the Kshatriya community and making the contest one of the most closely watched. The BJP dropped its sitting MP Mohan Kundariya and fielded Rupala.
The Congress brought Paresh Dhanani, the former leader of Opposition, who is known for defeating Rupala in the latter's first direct electoral battle back in 2002, from the Amreli Assembly seat. Rupala, a Rajya Sabha member and a Union minister, is contesting Lok Sabha polls for the first time. Both of the contestants are from the neighbouring Amreli district.
What makes the Rajkot seat interesting is the fact that Rupala hails from the Kadva faction of the influential Patidar community, while Dhanani is Leuva Patidar. The community has the largest vote share in this seat and is known as staunch BJP supporters. Out of 20,96,366 voters, Patidars are about 5.8 lakh, Kolis are 3.5 lakh, Maldharis 2.3 lakh, 2 lakh minority community, scheduled caste 1.8 lakh, Rajputs 1.5 lakh followed by Brahmins and Lohana communities.
While the Kshatriya agitation seems to be fizzling out with each passing day, the division of votes between Kadva and Leuva Patidars is also surfacing quitely.
"The situation can become tricky for the BJP if Leuva Patidars (mostly agrarians) lend their support to Dhanani. The buzz has started doing the rounds to make Dhanani win as a symbol of Leuva unity. Besides, Rupala has a bad reputation for not doing anything for the betterment of Amreli district despite being the state and central minister for so many years. Whereas, Dhanani is respected among the community for being a grounded and approachable leader," said a BJP source.
Dhanani is getting attention for his antics by visiting diamond-cutting polishing factories, playing carrom, and reaching out to common people in the simplest way.
The drive from Rajkot city to Jasdan, where the Congress held any ground until Bavaliya was with the party, is bumpy. Along the road, billboards of Dhanani and Rupala appear. Dhanani is trying to make the contest a matter of Swabhiman (self-esteem), while Rupala's posters are full of infrastructural development with pictures of PM Modi on top of them.
At the entrance of Jasdan, a group of pickup drivers are sipping cups of tea under a shack. "This road is much better than what we had during Congress time. At least you can reach Rajkot in an hour or so but earlier it would take the whole day. We have roads, electricity, water and even business, though there is a slump nowadays, but we can't even think of voting for Congress," they said.
“Modi ji is good as a prime minister but not for farmer labourers like me. Our area doesn't have good educational institutions, hospitals in the vicinity. It is either Rajkot or Ahmedabad, which are not only far but also expensive. But, the catch is…there is no point in voting for Congress as their leaders keep joining BJP. Also, they are not forming the government so what’s the point,” said Pravin Patel, a Leuva Patel who joined the conversation.