BHARUCH: Speaking in Amod on December 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Bharuch and Kutch as the fastest growing districts — both have large Muslim populations (more than 20%). As he spoke about the prosperity that industrialization has ushered in here, Modi even visualized Bharuch as an international tourism hub due to Sardar Patel's 'Statue of Unity' at Kevadiya and the recently-launched Dahej-Ghogha ferry service. For the last two decades, BJP's 'Vikas' plank has found unflinching support in Bharuch. The party holds four of the five seats in the district, where India's top corporate houses and government firms have invested close to Rs 1,60,000 crore and generated nearly two lakh jobs over the years.
Barring Jhagadiya, which is ruled by tribal strongman Chhotu Vasava, BJP has Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Vagra and Jambusar in its kitty. But the party is now sniffing a chance in Jhagadia too after fielding Vasava's trusted lieutenant Ravji Vasava against him.
Modi had even taken potshots at Ahmed Patel, the native of Bharuch, saying that despite wielding tremendous clout in the UPA government, he did little for development of this region and Gujarat too. The last time Ahmed Patel had won the Lok Sabha was 1984 when Congress rode on the massive sympathy wave following Indira Gandhi's assassination.
Ironically, drinking water scarcity has been the biggest problem plaguing the district from where India's fifth largest river Narmada flows. Be it the highly industrialized Ankleshwar, Bharuch, Dahej towns or villages of Vagra, Jambusar and Jhagadia constituencies, complaints of drinking water shortage are most common. This fact was acknowledged by Modi too when he had laid the foundation stone for Rs 4,3378 crore Bhadbhut barrage which would stop salinity ingress and ensure sweet drinking water to Bharuch and other towns.
Congress VP Rahul Gandhi's most significant promise during campaigning in Jambusar was adequate drinking water supply. A senior Congressman and Ex-MLA said that despite BJP failing to complete Matariya lake project, aimed at supplying 40 million liters of water per day water to Bharuch, his party has not raised the issue aggressively. He MLA was reflecting on the crisis of effective leadership that his party has been facing.
In 2015 too, BJP retained its hold on Bharuch, Ankleshwar and Jambusar municipalities while Congress retained Amod. In the taluka panchayat too, BJP won Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Hansot and Jambusar, Amod and Vagra went to Congress while JD (U) won Valia and Jhagadia.
BJP's opponents have frequently raised the issue of unemployment among local youths, especially tribals. "Despite so many industries, there are large number of youth without jobs," said Anil Bhagat, a Chhotu aide, contesting on Congress ticket from Ankleshwar.
There is a moratorium on expansion or new projects in Ankleshwar, which remains in the list of critically polluted industrial cluster.
In Vagra, farmers have expressed fear over land acquisition for the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) and GIDCs. Almost entire Vagra taluka is covered under the PCPIR that sprawls 453 sq km. The PCPIR was inaugurated by Modi in March 17 this year with the anchor tenant ONGC Petro Additions Ltd (OPAL) investing Rs 30,000 crore. The PCPIR promises 32,600 jobs once fully operational. Interestingly, PCPIR was conceptualized by the Congress-led UPA government.
Jayesh Patel, president of Khedut Hit Rakshak Samiti and Congress candidate in Bharuch seat, said, "We want the PCPIR to be scrapped. The zoning of various categories of industries and new town planning schemes are done in such a way that farmers could lose their huge chunk of land and get petty compensation."
Amirji Yadav, who grows wheat on 95 bighas of land in Akhod village near Dahej, said, "I earn Rs seven lakh a year by harvesting wheat. My land was to be acquired for a new GIDC. The process has stopped for now but after the elections it would start again."
Bharuch BJP MP Mansukh Vasava said, "People here have always voted for development. We are eyeing Jhagadia seat too and making extra efforts to win here. All the bigticket infrastructure projects are expected to create large number of jobs."
Barring Jhagadiya, which is ruled by tribal strongman Chhotu Vasava, BJP has Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Vagra and Jambusar in its kitty. But the party is now sniffing a chance in Jhagadia too after fielding Vasava's trusted lieutenant Ravji Vasava against him.
Modi had even taken potshots at Ahmed Patel, the native of Bharuch, saying that despite wielding tremendous clout in the UPA government, he did little for development of this region and Gujarat too. The last time Ahmed Patel had won the Lok Sabha was 1984 when Congress rode on the massive sympathy wave following Indira Gandhi's assassination.
Ironically, drinking water scarcity has been the biggest problem plaguing the district from where India's fifth largest river Narmada flows. Be it the highly industrialized Ankleshwar, Bharuch, Dahej towns or villages of Vagra, Jambusar and Jhagadia constituencies, complaints of drinking water shortage are most common. This fact was acknowledged by Modi too when he had laid the foundation stone for Rs 4,3378 crore Bhadbhut barrage which would stop salinity ingress and ensure sweet drinking water to Bharuch and other towns.
Congress VP Rahul Gandhi's most significant promise during campaigning in Jambusar was adequate drinking water supply. A senior Congressman and Ex-MLA said that despite BJP failing to complete Matariya lake project, aimed at supplying 40 million liters of water per day water to Bharuch, his party has not raised the issue aggressively. He MLA was reflecting on the crisis of effective leadership that his party has been facing.
In 2015 too, BJP retained its hold on Bharuch, Ankleshwar and Jambusar municipalities while Congress retained Amod. In the taluka panchayat too, BJP won Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Hansot and Jambusar, Amod and Vagra went to Congress while JD (U) won Valia and Jhagadia.
BJP's opponents have frequently raised the issue of unemployment among local youths, especially tribals. "Despite so many industries, there are large number of youth without jobs," said Anil Bhagat, a Chhotu aide, contesting on Congress ticket from Ankleshwar.
There is a moratorium on expansion or new projects in Ankleshwar, which remains in the list of critically polluted industrial cluster.
In Vagra, farmers have expressed fear over land acquisition for the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) and GIDCs. Almost entire Vagra taluka is covered under the PCPIR that sprawls 453 sq km. The PCPIR was inaugurated by Modi in March 17 this year with the anchor tenant ONGC Petro Additions Ltd (OPAL) investing Rs 30,000 crore. The PCPIR promises 32,600 jobs once fully operational. Interestingly, PCPIR was conceptualized by the Congress-led UPA government.
Jayesh Patel, president of Khedut Hit Rakshak Samiti and Congress candidate in Bharuch seat, said, "We want the PCPIR to be scrapped. The zoning of various categories of industries and new town planning schemes are done in such a way that farmers could lose their huge chunk of land and get petty compensation."
Amirji Yadav, who grows wheat on 95 bighas of land in Akhod village near Dahej, said, "I earn Rs seven lakh a year by harvesting wheat. My land was to be acquired for a new GIDC. The process has stopped for now but after the elections it would start again."
Bharuch BJP MP Mansukh Vasava said, "People here have always voted for development. We are eyeing Jhagadia seat too and making extra efforts to win here. All the bigticket infrastructure projects are expected to create large number of jobs."
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