Gujarat – “Ekmat” On Direction, “Ekmat” On Condition!

There is wisdom in the not-so-old adage, “Don’t fix what ain’t broken”, which seems to have been endorsed by the voter in Gujarat by giving a consecutive third term to the incumbent BJP government and its Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

Now that the din of adversarial advertising campaigns and the inextricable election-time rhetoric has somewhat receded, it is possible to afford the luxury of calm reflection to get a perspective on what resonated with the voter this time. One thing is certain though, that things seem to be moving in Gujarat. And moving in a direction and bringing about a condition that is acceptable to most Gujaratis. Add to this the fact that the goings-on in the rest of the country do not instill much confidence in them to change the course and condition, which is perhaps the reason they have voted for continuity.

So, what worked for Modi? We can talk about performance claims based on statistics, but statistics have an uncanny ability to support diametrically opposite arguments. We can comment on the “There Is No Alternative (TINA)” factor, but that would be taking credit away from the winner. We can analyse the “Kshatriya Harijan Adivasi Muslim (KHAM)” factor, but that would be stepping on the toes of psephologists, who must have just about gone into relaxed hibernation between two elections. So, let’s look at some simplistic, on-the-ground perspectives.

The Gujarati entrepreneurial spirit is legendary, and it is common knowledge that most Gujaratis are engaged in enterprise. Good businessmen prefer practical plans, tangible steps and visible results, and Modi has demonstrated it all for everyone to see. Good roads are for real, electricity is available for use, water flows out of taps and Tata’s Nano actually rolled out on its own four tyres out of Sanand! Bijli, Sadak, Paani and Naukri is for real in Gujarat, or at least better than many other parts in the country, and Modi’s performance seems to have been rewarded.

What about the “6 Crore Gujaratis” chant. Let’s face it, for years ‘divide and rule’, a strategy that we inherited from the British, has become so all-pervasive in Indian politics that it has eclipsed a more potent and commonsensical strategy of ‘combine and win’. Modi’s persistence in using a singular definition for the electorate seems to have finally paid off. It is perhaps a result of this chant that the Leuva Patel votes did not swing entirely in Keshubhai’s favour and that 12 out of 19 Muslim-dominated seats went the BJP’s way.

Then there was Modi’s 3D and holographically projected election rallies. Being close to the electorate is the minimum essential requirement in politics, more importantly during the elections. Each time, Modi and his advisors come out tops with their ideas to connect with the voter. The viral hysteria of the Modi mask last time and the use of cutting edge technology this time are dream strategies for any marketing man. And in the final analysis, considering all the bandobast, helicopters and pilot car-led retinues required for each rally, this strategy must have also worked out a tad cheaper for the BJP.

To be persistently contrarian is a common rebel trait. Therefore, in persistently bringing to power a single party every time, and that too emphatically, the Gujarati is perhaps rebelling against other parties. In his rebelling may lie a message. Maybe he is angry at others insulting his franchise, or maybe he is fed up of other parties stereotyping his choice based on one single event in the past, or maybe that he is cocking a snook at others by telling them to mind their own business and get their own house in order before they preach to Gujarat. Whatever may be the case, the third time is no fluke and there is a definite pattern emerging.

Time will tell whether Ekmat Gujarat morphs into Ekmat Bharat for BJP and Modi. One thing is certain, though, there is complete “Ekmat” or unanimity that there is a lot that needs fixing elsewhere in the country and that there is an unmistakable and urgent need for both “Disha” and “Dasha” to change.

- Vikram Limsay

(The author is the Consulting Editor of DSIJ and CEO of Helicon Consulting. You can connect with him at info@heliconconsulting.com)