AAP is trying to portray itself as a “serious” alternative to Congress
By Abdulhafiz Lakhani Ahmedabad
It seems that Muslim political leadership rise in Gujarat in form of AIMIM, The big question is that will Owaisi can deliver good performance in Modi land which is the fortress of BJP and RSS for almost three decades?
The usual bipolar contest in Gujarat between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress seems to be heading for a multi-party electoral battle at least in the coming local body polls with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Shard Pawar led NCP trying to make inroads in the state politics. The home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to go for local body polls next month that is said to be crucial ahead of 2022 Assembly elections.
Over the last couple of months, AAP has renewed its organisational strength by opening offices at taluka and district levels and elevating popular faces to newer and bigger responsibility. It recently elevated its state vice-president Gopal Italia, a popular and equally controversial youth known for throwing shoes at a Gujarat minister, to the president. Italia is an ex-police constable and ex revenue clerk.
In its new “avatar”, AAP is trying to portray itself as a “serious” alternative to Congress. Kejriwal in a tweet on January 13 indicated that AAP is going to challenge BJP since “BJP and Congress have been playing friendly politics.” Similarly, Owaisi’s AIMIM has also started to weigh its prospect by holding public meetings in Muslim dominated areas. In Jamalpur, large kites were found hanging with pictures of Owaisi indicating his plan to get a foothold.
Although it is too early to draw any conclusion on the arrival of new entrants in the political landscape, these developments are said to be indicating “advantage” for BJP and may create a big dent in Congress’ electoral prospects. Congress continues to be in its “cocoon” and has barely been able to make its presence felt and allowed its support shrink.
Despite its lassitude and out of power for over two-and-a-half-decade now, Congress had caused a big scare for BJP in 2017 Assembly polls when it won 77 seats in the Assembly of 182. But since then, the opposition party failed to leverage it big time and lost the momentum as it saw its MLAs being successfully lured by the BJP to win Rajya Sabha seats.
In recently held bypolls to the Assembly seat, it lost all eight seats. The bypolls were held after its eight MLAs resigned and many of them joined BJP.
Unlike Congress that doesn’t seem to have a plan, AAP is trying to get a foot in the door by launching early campaigns and announcing names of its candidates much in advance as part of its strategy to garner support. It has already announced names of 1,197 candidates who will be contesting local body polls.
All such announcements are being made by leaders who arrive from Delhi, making their moves much more serious. The party is claiming that scores of leaders including Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will be camping in the state once the campaign begins
AAP has already announced that it will not only contest all seats in the local body polls but also the 2022 Assembly election. APP had tried its luck in the state in the past as well without any success. In the 2017 Assembly polls, it lost badly with many of its candidates losing their deposits. Political analysts believe that the Delhi-based party is eying a long haul and might want to fill the vacuum left by a decaying Congress.
“AAP looks motivated for a long term. It is anticipating that Gujarat will have a vacuum due to Congress’ delegitimization and the party believes that they can fill that gap. There may not be any immediate positive result but by building small infrastructures for movement at district and taluka level. They are trying to brand themselves as an alternative to Congress,” said Amit Dholakia, professor and head of political science at Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara.
AIMIM party in Gujarat claims to have support of Dalits and Adivasis too. It may reflect Dalit Muslim understanding at grass root level specially In Bharuch district where Chhotu bhai vasava led BTP has good support of Adivasis and other marginalised segment of society
But its impact in Gujarat may be marginal, as Dalits are just 7 per cent in the state while Muslims are under 10 per cent
Muslim must make a clear compact with political partied. They cannot afford to be cheated yet again. Over the years Muslims have been cheated by political parties. Each party puts up a few Muslim candidates, and projects a Muslim leader. But experience shows that the Muslim leader so projected becomes more loyal to the alliance leader, and much less to the Muslim community. Most important for secular people is to defeat the BJP at any cost. That party hates us. Its entire existence is to reduce Muslims to the second class status.
If Dalits and Muslims join hands for good, they would be a force to reckon with in Gujarat
In Gujarat, the assembly election is more than a year away, it will be interesting to see AIMIM and BTP combine work in local election in this February 2021.
On the other hand, BJP continues to be a party “always in election mode” with its chief minister Vijay Rupani, his cabinet colleagues and party leaders reaching out to people, announcing schemes after schemes or reminding people of the government’s “achievement.”
It will not be out of the place to say that BJP doesn’t see Congress as a challenger that will break its continuity in ruling the state since mid 1990s. As the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP continues to run Gujarat firmly under control.
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Abdulhafiz Lakhani
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