Will Juhapura vote for Narendra Modi?

"Meet the next mayor of Ahmedabad," says a resident of Rohitvaas in Sarkhej to the crowd in front of him, as he introduces retired IPS officer and BJP's civic polls candidate AI Saiyed, on Tuesday night.

Five days before the municipal elections, residents of a mohallah have gathered to meet two of BJP's three candidates. Without any apparent vestiges of religion, Saiyed is the star attraction at this predominantly non-Muslim gathering. He talks in local accented dialect with jocular references to his IPS days, and tries to cut through the tension palpable in the air.

Aware of the piercing eyes of women through the ghunghat, Saiyed plays it cool by chiding the crowd for their bad habits (addiction to liquor and petty crimes), dishing out praises for the state CM and citing his promises for the 'development' of the area. The mohallah, a traditional Congress stronghold, is yet to get a visit from any of the grand old party's candidates.

This is a typical evening for the new politician who claims to have reluctantly accepted nomination from the BJP. Armed with a sober demeanour, Saiyed is a busy man these days, and on a hectic campaigning schedule. He leads the bandwagon of newly-nominated Muslim candidates of the BJP, and seems to be basking in the attention of being touted as the next mayor.

However, the task is by no means an easy one. Saiyed has to convince a community, scarred by the communal riots of 2002 and their ensuing marginalisation by local bodies for basic civic amenities, to vote for the BJP. "2002 is not an issue here now," he says in a toneless retort.

And thus perhaps, the most intriguing battle of this election is gathering heat in Asia's biggest Muslim ghetto, in Ahmedabad's Juhapura and Sarkhej wards. Joining in on Saiyed's campaign trail, DNA discovers that the sceptical Muslim community here is contemplating whether or not to vote for Modi.

Though the candidate here is a well-known member of the minority community, informal conversations with residents reveal that the decisive factor in their votes will only be whether they choose to vote for or against Modi. Saiyed is held with high regard in the locality.

However, emotional outbursts or elated cries of passion from residents owing to their shared religion with Saiyed notwithstanding, the campaign plank is that of security of the people and development of their area - in that order.

The next stop is a a housing society’s office in Juhapura, where 10-15 residents have gathered to gauge whether Saiyed means business. The residents have categorical allegations against top AMC officials for harassing them for roads and gutter facilities.

Saiyed is unnerved, but counters with definitive statements. People are not convinced, but the new candidate keeps checking his golden wrist watch indicating a delay for the next meeting. The entourage promptly leaves.

Saiyed now arrives at a humble housing colony. A small crowd of senior citizens is waiting. And this time, Saiyed plays to the crowds. The Gujarati dialect is replaced by accented Hindi. He draws out citations from the Koran, urging people to look after their own well-being before succumbing to any 'temptations' of the Congress.

He faces pointed questions seeking assurance about when the locality will get basic civic amenities. His response is Modi's promise to implement a 'special Juhapura development plan' to be prepared and implemented by him.

The ex-cop leaves with the promise of exiting politics at the end of five years, if Juhapura's woes are not settled.