Desire for change and popular opponent stumbling blocks for Gadkari in Nagpur
In home city of RSS, the Union Minister is banking on his record of infrastructure development rather than PM’s popularity to bag the seat; Congress is hoping that discontent about joblessness and inflation, and consolidation of Dalit, Muslim, OBC votes w
In the home city of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the infrastructure projects carried out by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the BJP’s Nagpur candidate, are a bigger talking point in the run up to the Lok Sabha election than the “Modi ki guarantee” slogan.
The city is adorned with giant posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi — noticeably absent are images of BJP national president J.P. Nadda, Mr. Gadkari, and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis — but the residents note a distinctive approach to campaigning.
While the majority of the BJP’s candidates across the country are leveraging Mr. Modi’s name and the Centre’s welfare initiatives like Ujjwala Yojana, and Awas Yojana, and national security policies to attract votes, Mr. Gadkari has distinguished himself by running a campaign that highlights his own personal achievements, barely leaning on the Prime Minister’s popularity.
“I tried to serve Nagpur honestly while serving as a Minister in Maharashtra and now as a Union Minister for the past 10 years. So, I believe that the people are with me in full force,” Mr. Gadkari said, while addressing a public meeting at the Lakdipool and Bangladesh areas of the city.
Face of development
At Sitabuldi, Purshottam Joshi is busy shopping. He says that Nagpur owes Mr. Gadkari and he should be reelected for the sake of development. “He constructed flyovers, Metro rail, roads, and whatnot.
People are definitely going to vote for him. Yes, even the Congress candidate is strong, but he can’t beat Mr. Gadkari’s popularity,” he said.
In 2014, buoyed by the “Modi Wave” and a desire for change, Nagpur voters shifted their allegiance from the Congress’s Vilas Muttemwar after two decades, and elected Mr. Gadkari by a margin of around 2.85 lakh votes. Despite hosting the RSS headquarters, the city had remained a bastion of the Congress since Independence.
The BJP candidates have only been elected thrice —
Banwarilal Purohit in 1996 and Mr. Gadkari in 2014 and 2019.
This time around, the Congress has nominated its MLA and former Mayor Vikas Thakre, setting up a potential challenge for the BJP, which intensified its campaign in areas dominated by Dalits and minorities.
Mr. Thakre’s popularity and appeal in the Kunbi community, which forms a substantial portion of the electorate, is evident from the rallies being organised in his favour.
Dissatisfaction among the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) over the Maratha reservation issue, and a consolidated move by Dalit organisations and Muslim voters towards the Congress pose further challenges to the BJP.
Parties like the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, the Bahujan Samaj Party, and the All India MajlisEIttehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) have decided not to field candidates in this constituency as a “show of support” for the Congress. Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Vijay Wadettiwar said this decision will prevent the splitting of votes, a factor that has historically worked against the Congress.
At the popular Dolly Chaiwala roadside stall, which earned recent Internet fame by serving tea to Microsoft founder Bill Gates, there is a lively discussion on the election. Suresh Godboleh expresses the need for a change. “Change is necessary this time. While Mr. Gadkari is commendable, change is crucial for the nation as a whole to prevent the BJP’s tanashahi (dictatorship),” he says.
His sentiment finds resonance with Paul Swami, who complains about unemployment and the city’s reputation as an ‘old age home’, following the exodus of youngsters to cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune in search of jobs, leaving their parents behind.
“In contrast to 2019, Mr. Gadkari won’t have it easy. While we support him as an individual, ultimately he represents a party which is only talking about Mandir and other religious activities, neglecting core issues like unemployment, inflation, and job losses,” he says.
Despite these challenges, Mr. Gadkari’s reputation and a focus on tangible development achievements anchor his campaign efforts. However, lingering issues such as unemployment and trader discontent loom large.
“Clearly, there is no ‘Modi Wave’ this time and no sentimental issues like Ram Mandir. There’s a quiet mobilisation of antiBJP sentiments on the ground, bolstering the Congress’s campaign,” says Devendra Gawande, the resident editor of Marathi daily Loksatta in Nagpur.
“It’s going to be an interesting poll battle in Nagpur after a decade. Both candidates are asking for votes in the name of development,” he added.