Everyone is following the Gujarat election keenly because so much is at stake. Both principal contenders, the BJP and the Congress, are beavering away at their respective campaigns. Winning this election is crucial to their positioning and future in national politics. Prime Minister Modi’s popularity, his swingeing measures like demonetization and the GST and the Opposition’s acceptability are on test in this election. But given the BJP’s predominance, till a few weeks ago, the election appeared to be a one-sided match. Now, pundits speak of a possible photo-finish. If the current mood on the ground is any indication, the Congress is poised to outpace the BJP.
The Gujarat model of development has lost appeal. The perception that Modi is a jadugar (magician) using trick politics is now being shared. Time is fast running out for the BJP to win back voters who have been alienated by its bad decisions. Tapping anti-BJP sentiment, the Congress is trying to stage a comeback. Its campaign packs powerful punches, which the BJP finds hard to counter. Fielding Hindu seers for Hindu consolidation, Ram Vilas Paswan to counter the popularity of Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, mocking Rahul Gandhi over his temple visits and releasing a morphed sex video featuring Hardik Patel to defame him may produce less than expected results and even prove counterproductive.