In Gujarat, Modi hardsells BJP as the vikas party

A day before he descends on Gujarat for the BJP’s expected, feverish, poll pitch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded voters that vikas (development) is the solution for all problems, and warned them against “power hungry”, dynastic, casteist and communal politicians.

The Prime Minister’s message, in Gujarati, was conveyed in an open letter, whose distribution began with BJP President Amit Shah’s door-to-door campaign, which is part of the ruling party’s State-wide Gujarat Gaurav Mahasampark Abhiyan that was launched on Tuesday.

In fact, in the PM’s two-page-long, 47-line letter, carrying the BJP’s latest slogan —

Darek Gujarati no ek hi awaaz: Hun chhoon vikas, hun chhoon Gujarat (One voice of all Gujaratis: I am Vikas, I am Gujarat) — Modi used the word vikas no less than 24 times, in an attempt to put a positive spin on a word that became the butt of jokes on social media only a few weeks ago.

His most-well-known slogan on

vikas was SaunoSaath, Sauno Vikas (Together with all, development for all). His successor, Anandiben Patel’s add-on slogan was Gatisheel Gujarat (Dynamic Gujarat) while the current CM Vijay Rupani has been harking on its rebranded version, Pragatisheel Gujarat (Progressive Gujarat).

That Modi and the BJP are largely relying on this refurbished poll plank for re-election was apparent when he reminded the people about the state of affairs before and after the BJP came to power in Gujarat in 1995. “How was Gujarat 22 years ago?”, he begins his letter, and goes on to assert the BJP government’s contributions.

“Gujarat and development have become synonymous over the last two decades…There is not an area in Gujarat where vikas has not been dynamic,” he said, adding that the State was a land of opportunities.

He reminds voters that development did not come easy, but the State persisted despite hurdles created by previous Congress Central governments. Modi also blamed Congress dispensations for doing little on the Narmada water issue, adding that only when he became PM did he ensure completion of the Sardar Sarovar dam. “Who understands vikas better than a Gujarati?”

After enlisting the various schemes launched by the NDA Government under his leadership, Modi returned to the pre-BJP era in Gujarat. “Our youths cannot, perhaps, imagine the state of affairs in Gujarat prevailing then. Communalism and casteism had crippled Gujarat just for political self-interest. Once again, some power-hungry people are playing the same selfish game.”

“It is the duty of all of us to be cautious of such communal, casteist and dynastic tendencies,” he said.

Vikas, Modi added, was the solution to all the problems.