NEWS
VIEWS
INTERVIEWS
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
ISSUES '98
MANIFESTOS
OVERHEARD
POLLING BOOTH
INDIA SPEAKS!
YEH HAI INDIA
CHAT

Despite RJP, BJP may coast through in Surendranagar

Haresh Pandya in Rajkot

The Rashtriya Janata Party has emerged as a major threat to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Surendranagar. Although the BJP controls five of the six assembly constituencies in the district, the election will prove tight for the MLAs as both the parties know how to play the caste card to get maximum favour.

Moreover, defectors who left the BJP will try to gobble up the party's share of voters. Popular figures are emerging fast where the BJP had excelled previously. They have achievements to show and money to spend on a election.

In the Dasada reserved seat, BJP candidate Fakir Vaghela will have an edge for the simple reason that he is a popular figure. He had fought for the interests of the downtrodden. He defeated his Congress rival Bhaljibhai Solanki by 22,684 votes last time.

The biggest problem people face is non-availability of drinking water. All political parties had promised to provide water, but failed to keep their word.

In Dhrangadhra, people struggle for existence. A majority of the 123,000 electorate are labourers in salt factories. The rest are peasants. During the last election, BJP candidate Indravijaysinh Jadeja had raised the problems of salt workers, but failed to suppress the powerful salt lobby. He felled his rival Congress candidate Chhaganbhai Patel by only 1,398 votes.

An influential Congress worker and sarpanch of the Kondh village, Parakramsinh Jadeja has suddenly emerged a strong contender. He had earlier lost his influence due to his involvement in the dispute between the employees of Dhrangadhra Chemical Works.

The RJP has announced only two candidates for the district. From Wadhavan, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Ranjitsinh Jhala, who left the BJP during the Khajuraho episode, has been named, while Narsinh Padhiyar has been nominated from Halwad. Previously, the Halvad seat was captured by BJP candidate Jayantilal Kavadia who beat Indrasingh Parmar of the Congress. Padhiyar would surely find it difficult to get past a BJP candidate here.

In Wadhvan, Jhala is confident of his victory again. But more striking is the discontentment of party workers here. RJP sources said that as a minister he was always welcomed by the public, but his failure in solving the basic problems and his split with the BJP has reduced his popularity.

The BJP received 38.4 per cent of votes polled. The Congress, with 34.02 per cent, was not far behind. The BJP will surely gain from the bickering in the Congress and RJP as it is sure of its victory in Limbdi, Wadhvan and Halvad.

Tell us what you think of this report