‘Outsider’ Advani puts Kalol voters in dilemma

Kalol, a small town in Gandhinagar district and a part of Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, has become a very important place this election.

BJP's PM candidate LK Advani is contesting from Gandhinagar and Congress has fielded Suresh Patel, MLA from Kalol. With Kalol having a large Patel population, it is important for Advani to strengthen his position in the area.

For the voters in Kalol, however, it's a battle between a local and an outsider. While Suresh Patel is trying to cash in on the advantage of being a local, Advani too understands the importance of secure support of Kalol voters. On Monday, Advani took out a roadshow in the area. For Advani, Kalol is a new area, as it was earlier a part of Mehsana constituency. Such is the history of elections in Kalol that it has not been faithful to a particular party. Candidates of both Congress and BJP have emerged triumphant here, though mostly with narrow margins.

Advani, whose outing in Ranip on Sunday was a runaway success, did not get as big response in Kalol, which is not too surprising considering the influence of the Congress candidate in the area. However, an impressive crowd turned out to see the BJP veteran. Advani thanked the people of Kalol for joining his roadshow.

Many people in the crowd, however, felt that Advani was a rank outsider and he was visiting the area after many years. It is to be seen if Advani's visit could make an impression on their mind and if they decided to opt for an outsider instead of a local candidate.

“Local leaders can always be available and they also understand issues and grievances of people,” said Kantibhai Kachrabhai, who was on the road as he wanted to see Advani.

“We always support local candidates even in the Lok Sabha elections as they are available to us throughout the five years,” said Zakir Hussain, another resident of Kalol.
“We want a local leader who can be available to the voters any time they need,” said Ketan Parekh, a 22-year-old youth, adding that, “Advani is a national leader and we know he will not be available to us most of the time,” he said.

However, there were some in the crowd who felt that Advani was such a big leader that he could ensure development in the area even if he does not visit the constituency too frequently. “Advani may be an outsider for Kalol, but he is a national leader and can get things done for the constituency even without visiting the area,” said Govind Sathwara.

“Advani is a seasoned politician. He is also a strong and influential leader,” said Maiyuddin Malek, a trader of Kalol.