NEW DELHI: It needed Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's high-voltage campaign, including showy bits like a sea-plane ride and an all-out assault on rival Congress's patriotic credentials in the closing stages, to pull BJP past the finish line in a tricky election.
The win despite 22 years of incumbency puts the spotlight on Modi's continued dominance and appeal which has taken BJP past quota mines and unhappiness over GST. The verdict, despite a reduced margin, may give him the confidence to push his political and economic agenda in a bid to retain voter faith at the end of his current term.
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Modi's conversation with Vadodara-based stationery shop-owner
Gopalbhai Gohil, circulated on social media, served to remind the electorate that "their man" has not lost touch with old acquaintances or his roots. The continued obscurity of his immediate family adds to his image as "pradhan sewak" in public life.
Modi's ability to score is complimented by, what BJP insiders said, is close coordination with party chief Amit Shah. Even though the campaign revealed chinks in the BJP armour, the win will help keep in-house critics like a sidelined old guard at bay.
The BJP leadership had to negotiate thin ice through it all: a section of new voters with enhanced expectations, the Patidar protests, glitches in GST rollout, and the substitution of the old enemy of 'Delhi sultanate' with Modi's government at the Centre.
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BJP 3.0 & Cong 2.0 set template for 2019
All these issues, in addition to the churn in its Patel base, meant a cluster of challenges in its bastion, which the leadership faced with a mixture of persuasion and bluster. It did not succumb to the quota demand but did not give up on the Patel vote either and at the same time, looked to use apprehensions of other social groups to bind them with BJP.
The quiet counter polarisation seemed to work even as BJP, after being initially taken aback by the "Vikas gando thayo che (vikas gone mad)" slogan, revived its development agenda through the assertive "Hun chu vikas, hun chu
Gujarat (I am development, I am Gujarat)" rallying cry.
Know how different communities voted in Gujarat since 1982
"There is an 8% lead in the vote share and this is not insignificant after 22 years of winning polls. Congress lost one state today and we retained ours," BJP chief Amit Shah asserted after the results came in. "Despite anti-incumbency, we are close to the best vote share we got in 2002," he said.
Party insiders admitted that long years in office had led to some complacency and a "we-know-best" attitude. The outburst of trading and business classes against GST was genuine and it required intensive canvassing to repair the damage. In the end, urban centres stood by BJP, helping it win a crucial test.
The emotional content came at the end when the BJP's top two — PM Narendra Modi and Shah — pounced on the "neech" remark of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar. "Do you think we will remain silent when our leader is insulted?" asked Shah, referring to the manner in which Modi described a dinner hosted by Congress veteran
Mani Shankar Aiyar for Pakistani dignitaries and attended by former PM
Manmohan Singh.
