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HomePoliticsGujarat Election 2017Congress knows BJP'S weaknesses in Gujarat, but isn't able to exploit them

Congress knows BJP’S weaknesses in Gujarat, but isn’t able to exploit them

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While Rahul Gandhi has punctured holes in the BJP’s development narrative, the Congress doesn’t seem to have a fresh, promising narrative to sell.

New Delhi: The feverish campaign for the Gujarat assembly elections is now in its home stretch, and both the BJP and Congress have sharpened their knives to take on each other.

Much has happened since ThePrint travelled through the Saurashtra region and south Gujarat, covering districts such as Rajkot, Morbi, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Amreli, Surat, Tapi, the Dangs, Bharuch, Narmada and Navsari. Prime Minister Narendra Modi carpet-bombed the state with his rallies, and the controversy around Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s Somnath Temple visit, and whether and why he signed the ‘non-Hindu’ register, only polarised the election further.

The BJP undoubtedly has its vulnerabilities in the state – 22 years of anti-incumbency in Gujarat and nearly four years at the Centre, the economic distress caused by demonetisation and the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax, the farm crisis in the state, as well as the electorally significant Patidar community’s rebellion. The BJP’s narrative to counter it all has been showcasing PM Modi’s ‘vikas’ (development) model, and portraying the Congress as a party that doesn’t quite care about the state.

The Congress, meanwhile, has put forth Rahul Gandhi, who has attempted to puncture holes in the development model, forge a rainbow caste coalition, as well as adopt a soft Hindutva approach to take on the BJP’s overt Hindutva politics.

So far, who seems to have got the better of the other?

The BJP’s vulnerabilities have not quite translated into aggressive anger against it on the ground, except for among the Patidars. While the impact of GST on businesses remains a source of resentment, most people question just the implementation of the policy, and not the policy itself or PM Modi’s intent. On the issue of inadequate prices for their produce, farmers are unhappy, but are not quite directing their anger at the BJP, since they believe the Congress only symbolises “corruption and lawlessness”.

What stands out most is perhaps the inability of the Congress to effectively exploit the BJP’s vulnerabilities and sell a fresh, promising narrative of its own. This hasn’t quite been a battle of two parallel narratives, because the Congress does not even seem to have one. Its attempts to pick holes in the development model haven’t led to a definite mood shift in its favour, while Rahul’s soft Hindutva attempts can barely beat the BJP at its own game.

There is little doubt that in the Modi versus Rahul face-off, the former is undisputedly viewed as the more popular, more credible leader by Gujaratis. It is Modi’s mass appeal and his record as chief minister that the BJP is banking heavily on, and very few in the state actually question the transformation Gujarat has seen under Modi.

The Congress is relying mostly on the wide caste coalition, for which it needs external factors such as young leaders Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mevani and Alpesh Thakor.

With less than a week to go for the first round of polling, it is a battle of nerves between Modi’s vikas-plus-Hindutva narrative, and Congress’ efforts to counter that. For now, it is the former that seems to have the edge.

In its second leg of coverage, ThePrint will bring you the sense on the ground from north and central Gujarat, as well as the Kutch region.

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