What could explain the subdued rural anger in Gujarat this poll cycle?

Gujarat 2022 is very different from Gujarat 2017. The polls five years ago were preceded by a large Patidar agitation demanding reservations. The Congress, which was the undisputed challenger to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the time, made rural distress a big poll issue. And while the BJP managed to win a simple majority in Gujarat, the Congress recorded its best performance in the state since 1985 in terms of seat share. A big reason for the improvement in the Congress’s seat tally was a strong performance in rural areas. Unlike 2017, rural anger does not seem to be dominating the campaign in Gujarat in 2022. While the BJP has done well to nullify some issues such as Patidar discontent – EWS reservations and poaching of Patidar agitation leaders such as Hardik Patel has helped – there is also an economic explanation why farmers’ issues are not dominating the campaign so much.