Gujarat Elections 2017 | Nano factor: BJP faces acid test in Sanand

The Gujarat model of development, the key theme of BJP's national campaign in the last Lok Sabha polls, faces an acid test in the 'Nano' city of the state.

Residents in Sanand villages nestled amid factories on both sides of the four-lane National Highway rue that the factories do not give permanent employment to local youths nor they employ them in white collar jobs. Seven policemen including the SP were injured when a protest by farmers seeking water for irrigation turned violent in February this year.

In the adjoining Assembly seat Viramgam, the hometown of Patidar leader Hardik Patel, the Kadva Patels, once a strong support base of the BJP show a changing mood. In Hardik's village Chandranagar, Patels say they will not vote for BJP but ironically they are not keen to vote for the Congress candidate either as the latter is from Bharwad (milkmen) community. Caste is back into the political discourse, but the BJP is hopeful that PM Narendra Modi's whirlwind tour will change the scenario.

"We will win the election. People of Gujarat have seen the development done by Narendra Modi government in the state. Now Modiji is at the Centre. So, it's time for a double engine development," said BJP general secretary in-charge for the state Bhupendra Yadav, who is camping in Ahmedabad.

Attacking Modi over Gujarat model development, Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi said at a rally in Bharuch, "Do you see a Tata Nano on the streets anywhere these days?". As the issue hots up politically, not only the BJP countered it but even Tata Motors came out with a statement.

BJP in power in the state since last 22 years had swept the state winning all 26 Lok Sabha seats in 2014. However, the 2015 local bodies elections saw a resurgence of Congress in rural areas, urban Gujarat continued under BJP spell. Both Sanand and Viramgam seats going to polls in the second phase of polling on December 14, were won by Congress in 2012 Assembly polls. Congress' Karamsibhai Virjibhai Patel had defeated BJP's Gagjibhai Rathod in Sanand. While the BJP has fielded Kanubhai Karmshibhai Makvana, the Congress Pushpaben Jorubhai Dabhi.

In Viramgam, sitting Congress MLA Tejashriben D Patel, a gynaecologist by profession, is now the BJP candidate. She had quit Congress in the aftermath of Shankersinh Vaghela leaving the party ahead of RS elections. Congress has fielded Lakhabhai Bharwad.

Patels in Chandrangar of Viramgam recall how Hardik's mother and sister were detained during a roadshow. Trying to tap in the anger among Patidars, Rahul Gandhi wrapped up Saurastra tour here last month. The constituency has a large number of OBC votes, the reason why OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, who joined the Congress at a Rahul Gandhi rally in October had said that Viramgam could be one of the two seats, he could contest from.

But the caste dynamics plays out differently here. As recent as in July, a caste violence had broken out between Bharwad and Rajput communities in two districts of Saurashtra leaving two dead. "Bharwads force their cattle in our farms. They pick up quarrels. We will not vote for BJP but cannot vote for the Congress candidate, who is from Bharwad caste," says Manharbhai Patel in Chandranagar. Chandrakant Patel, who lost his job after closure of the National Textile a decade back is angry that while he is jobless, his son Amrish Patel has also now to fend with a contractual job. "There are a number of factories, but they do not want to employ locals. After NTC was closed 869 people lost jobs. Some say Patidars are rich. Why do they need reservation. See our plight. Around 20 youths of the village work as contractual labours in factories. We need anamat (reservation)," he argues. Adjacent to the Nano factory at Chharodi village in Sanand regarding which PM Modi had once said that with Tata Motors Nano project, he has put Sanand on the world map, some locals complain of lack of health care and education facilities as well. As far employment of locals is concerned, it's a double dilemma as local youths are not keen for hardcore labour jobs like soil cutting and are not well-skilled and trained enough for white collar jobs. On the barrage near Viramgam, most labourers are from Eastern UP, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Besides helping Gujarat's branding as industry-friendly state and augmenting Modi's Vikas Purush image, the Nano venture had sent land prices sky-rocketing, creating a new breed of neo rich farmers whose land went to the project became millionaires in days. "See the Bolgaon village. The entire land has gone to factories. But that was one time money, which many squandered in buying expensive vehicles. They only knew agriculture work and were not educated and skilled enough to get white collar jobs in factories. The result you see now is bunch of unemployed youths loitering around everywhere," says Nadir Khan, a local scrap dealer.

Sanand constituency came into existence after delimitation of 2008. Koli-Patel voters numbering dominate the constituency followed by Kshatriya, SC and Thakor voters. It remains to be seen whether Kshatriyas and Patidars or Patidars or Muslims vote together. They do not share a great community relation, though Congress has tried to bring them together by sewing up an umbrella alliance with Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakor, besides Dalit face Jignesh Mevani.

In October, Gujarat government said it would withdraw all criminal cases filed against 22 agitating farmers in Sanand. This was days after it also offered to withdraw all "non-serious cases" filed against members of the Patidar community after their protest rally in August 2015.

In Upardal village in Sanand, farmers have been demanding Narmada river water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam project to irrigate their fields for close to two decades. In Chandranagar in Viramgaam, villager say the canal water for irrigation does reaches them. While political leaders are engaged in battle of wits, villagers are back to basics.