Gujarat Assembly election: Why 'safe' Rajkot West seat is not an easy sailing for CM Vijay Rupani
Every election, PM Modi makes a fervent appeal to supporters to cast their vote first and postpone other works. But, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani preferred to visit a temple first today. Is it because of the caste equation in his constituency?
In Short
- Vijay Rupani faces stiff contest on Rajkot West seat.
- Rupani is a Jain and Congress has fielded a Brahmin at Rajkot West.
- Caste equation at Rajkot West makes contest closer.
It has been a general trend that Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes an appeal to people, especially young voters, to exercise their franchise in large numbers. PM Modi has used phrases such as "Pahle Matdaan Phir Jalpaan" to exhort voters to cast their ballot with enthusiasm during elections.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, however, preferred visiting a temple in his Rajkot West constituency before going to polling centre. PM Modi's appeal may not have taken away his anxiety of the stiff competition that he is said to be facing from the Congress candidate Indranil Rajyaguru.
Speaking at Agenda Aaj Tak recently, Rupani claimed that he was the only practicing Jain chief minister in the country. But, on the day of voting in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly election, CM Rupani, reportedly, visited a Shiv Mandir in Rajkot before heading to his designated polling booth at the Parivartan Vidyalaya. Live updates are here
Rupani cannot be faulted, however, for visiting a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva as his rival Rajyaguru is equally nervous. He organised a three-hour long Mahapuja at his office. Fifty-one Brahmin priests were especially called at his office for the purpose.
WHY RUPANI, RAJYAGURU NERVOUS? THINGS TO KNOW
- Rajkot West is considered as the BJP's safe seat. It has been a traditional bastion of the BJP, which has been holding the seat since 1985. About half the voters of the constituency was born after 1985.
- Current Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala won the seat - previously known as Rajkot-II - seven times for the BJP between 1985 and 2012 vacating it for Narendra Modi in 2002. However, after Narendra Modi shifted to Maninagar constituency, Vajubhai Vala held the seat till 2012.
- Vijay Rupani contested from Rajkot West in the bypoll in 2014 after Vajubhai Vala was made governor of Karnataka.
- Largest constituency in the Saurashtra region, Rajkot West has more than 3 lakh voters. As per caste equation, there are about 42,000 Kadwa Patels, 33,000 Leuvva Patels, 25,000 Brahmins, 35,000 Kshatriyas, 25,000 Baniyas and around 10,000 Jains.
- Rajkot West is, otherwise, a stronghold of the RSS-BJP but the Congress has tried to exploit the caste sentiment by moving in Indranil Rajyaguru from Rajkot East to Rajkot West. Rajyaguru is a Brahmin and the second richest candidate in the Gujarat Assembly election.
- Patels are said to be angry with the BJP, largely due to mobilisation by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel. Smarting under the impact of demonetisation and GST, the Baniyas are also not very happy with the BJP. And, with Rajyaguru in contention, the Congress hopes to attract Brahmin votes in greater number.
- Under the given circumstances, Rupani has a stiff task of overcoming angry Patidars, anguished trading community and preventing a split of Brahmin vote. Rupani seems to be confident. He insists that there is no competition to him from Rajyaguru.
- Coming out of the temple with his wife Anjali Ben, Rupani said, "I prayed to God and wished that Gujarat progressed at a fast pace."
(With inputs from Ashok Singhal in Rajkot)