BJP faces tough fight in 4 south Gujarat seats

With the election to the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state just two days away and campaigning coming to an end on Sunday evening, the BJP is facing a tough fight in four seats of south Gujarat.

Political observers feel that BJP will have to sweat it out in these seats despite its claims that the party will make a clean sweep in the state.

The observers say neither the development plank nor the Hindutva card will help the party in a big way in the Mandvi, Bharuch, Valsad and Surat seats. Union rural development minister Kanshiram Rana, who is contesting from Surat for the seventh time, is facing the anti-incumbency factor.

To make the matters worse for him, Congress has fielded Chandravadan Chhotubhai Pithawalla, who is known as a philanthropist than a hard-core politician.

A member of a well-known family, Pithawalla has a slight edge over Rana as a new candidate. But he will have to manage a party marred by factional feud.

"Despite being the Union textile minister for a considerable period, the textile workers and the industry are not happy with Rana as he has done little for the industry in Surat," an observer said.

He said the diamond industry too seems to be unhappy with Rana and Patels of the region might prefer Pithawalla as he is a member of a Koli Patel family. Fearing a Patel backlash, Rana even roped in his political rival, former chief minister and Rajya Sabha member, Keshubhai Patel, for the campaign.

Mansinh Patel, the sitting MP from the tribal-dominated Mandvi constituency, is expected to face a tough fight from Tushar Choudhury, who is the MLA from Songadh.

Tushar, son of former chief minister Amarsinh Choudhury, is expected to be supported by the sizable converted-Christian population there.

"With the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) announcing that it will support the BJP candidates in all the 26 constituencies, Tushar Choudhury's victory might be a little uncertain as VHP has a stronghold in the tribal areas of Vyara, Songadh.

"But the development issue will not help the BJP candidate win this time as there is hardly any sign of development in these areas. Water availability is still a problem, and despite having the potential to become the hub of tourism, the state and the Central governments have hardly done a thing," said a source.

In Bharuch, close to the 'chemical city' of Ankleshwar and Vapi, Mohammedbhai Phansiwalla has already managed to get an edge over his rival from BJP, Mansukh Vasava.

Bharuch, known as a communally sensitive town with a sizable Muslim population, has also been neglected by the government. The chemical factories in Ankleshwar and Vapi are facing an uncertain future and nothing much has been done to help the industry.

In Valsad, Kishan Patel, an MLA, is expected to give the BJP candidate and sitting MP, Manilal Choudhury, a tough time. "The economy has broken down. Several co-operative banks have closed down," said Patel. Three out of the four constituencies remained almost undisturbed during the communal violence two years back.

Hence the BJP is not expected to play the Hindutva card in these districts.