Gujarat elections 2022: GenNext rekindling Porbandar’s gory past?

This part of Gujaratrsquos vast coastline has etched its name in history for its gory underworld past that has become folklore Bollywood has made a film on a local bahubali woman and Quentin Tarantino should be happy to script and direct one more on the lines of Kill Bill if he lays his hands on a storyline from the yesteryears of PorbandarFor the record Porbandarrsquos other historic identity is that of Mahatma Gandhirsquos birthplace Thankfully the religious tourism circuit ensures that the Kirti Mandir a memorial built around a heritage home where the Mahatmarsquos mother went through labour to deliver to the world a child who has been immortalised because of his ideology of nonviolenceCong OBC cell president Vijay Bapodaria in blue shirt seeks votes for their Porbandar candidate Arjunbhai ModhavadiyaCut to the present Like the rest of Gujarat Porbandar city and neighbouring Kutiyana are dealing with a more pressing mattermdashthe Assembly polls Kutiyanarsquos contest is being keenly watched ahead of the December 1 polling Kandhal Jadeja the son of lsquoGodmotherrsquo the late Santokben Jadeja is testing the salty waters against Deliben Odedara Jadeja won the previous two elections from the Sharad Pawarled Nationalist Congress Party and currently represents the Samajwadi Party Kutiyanarsquos municipal president of 27 years Deliben has made her Assembly poll debut on a BJP ticket The ruling partyrsquos decision to set her up against a relative at loggerheads has fuelled the fire People say the contestants are longtime rivals in pursuing their respective interests and keeping their hold strong on the regionAlso Read Gujarat elections 2022 In Dwarka BJP man seeks record 8th runCongressrsquos Nathbhai Bhurabhai and the AAPrsquos Bhimabhai Makwana have extended the lineup but lack the numbers needed to sail through However unlike the impression we were given the shadows of the underworld past were barely evident Parties ran their campaigns smoothly and no untoward incident has been reported so far Civility prevailed as the people spoke though some preferred anonymitySupporters of Porbandar BJP candidate Babubhai Bokhariya flash a victory signldquoItrsquos a battle of two bahubalisrdquo said a Jadeja supporter He rekindled the past telling that the family continues to pursue welfarism and never turned anyone away from their doors Streams of supporters gather into a crowd quickly for a corner meeting Jadejarsquos lawyer aunt has already started addressing the women The nephew joins the men sitting on the other side of the road as the women turn their ears to the speech ldquoIf I havenrsquot worked for you then I shouldnrsquot seek your vote Have I passed your testrdquo he asks the crowd which responds cheerfully ldquoMy father and my mother exMLA worked for you and Irsquom also working for you Trust me I have no blemish My reputation is intact I do what I sayrdquo he states asking the people to vote and encourage others to use their polling rightKirti Mandir Mahatma Gandhirsquos birthplaceturnedmemorial in PorbanderldquoDo I do dadagiri Times have changedrdquo he adds while referring to the oppositionrsquos allegations that he has been threatening voters ldquoMy opposition hasnrsquot performed They donrsquot have the aukat status Nobody is born who can beat merdquo he says declaring that he will also put up candidates in Kutiyanarsquos next municipal electionslsquoPeople are my partyrsquomidday asked him whether he was invited to join the BJP ldquoYes They offered me a ticket but I said no Today is BJPrsquos government tomorrow it will be Congress The circle will go on Irsquom good as an independent I get my work done Irsquom that capable and have that much powerrdquo he addsWhen prodded Jadeja says even if he is contesting from the SP he doesnrsquot need a party tag ldquoI brought NCP here and won on my own twice My people are my party There are a definite number of people who share the BJP and the Congress ideologies but my supporters surpass them in strengthrdquo he states further ldquoYou talk to people and tell me what they sense You wonrsquot believe it if I project my winning lead Go out and see for yourselfrdquo he saysA senior citizen hugs SPrsquos Kandhal Jadeja in KutiyanaA stroll around the town gives a sense that the fight is equally poised at least in Kutiyana where maximum voters are registered Some 52 villages comprise the remaining vote base A local resident Nathanbhai Keswala says Delibenrsquos candidature has turned it into a good contest A paan parlour owner desists from predicting the outcome Perhaps his reluctance stems from Delibenrsquos stronghold over the municipality Itrsquos her 28th year as the nagarpalika presidentWorkers of both candidates probe us to know the public pulse after we pass by their campaign offices In rural areas voters donrsquot talk Efforts to get in touch with Deliben go futile after a twohour wait Wersquore told that she will return from campaigning by 6pm In the end wersquore told that an interview is not possible because she doesnrsquot take questions in Hindi or English ldquoIt has to be in Gujarati Other mediums are not useful to us You may excuse usrdquo says a senior manager of the campaign office in our face Disappointed we leave KutiyanaOn November 23 Deliben told ANI that she had the courage to contest against Kandhal Jadeja ldquoIrsquoll win with a big marginVoters of Kutiyana constituency know and respect me I look after the poor and everyone else So Irsquom confident theyrsquoll vote for me Kandhal Jadeja threatens people to vote I donrsquot threaten anyone I tell my voters lovingly to vote for me if they like merdquo she told the news agencyBJP aims for a hattrickForty kilometres from Kutiyana Porbandar has the BJPrsquos sitting MLA Babubhai Bokhiriya Congressrsquo Arjunbhai Modhvadiya and AAPrsquos Jeewan Jungi in the contest The Congress is very much hopeful because Arjunbhai had lost to Babubhai by the lowest margin of 1800 votes in Saurashtra Both have been the winners twice against each other and if he wins this time it will be Babubhairsquos third straight triumphThe Congress is toiling away to plug the gap The partyrsquos OBC cell president Vijay Bapodaria says they have taken up issues that dog the people ldquoFair price for agricultural produce inflation control subsidy on fuel and cooking gas ample water supply and creation of jobs is our promise The BJPrsquos promise of providing Narmada water to us is still on paper The people are supportive of our agendardquo he says while going doortodoor in Ward No 1 A group of enthusiastic men and women accompany himBJP workers donrsquot buy the Congressrsquos plank ldquoBabubhai has worked hard The issues of 2017 donrsquot exist in 2022 He won in 2017 despite facing the odds His margin was less then because the city was dug up all over for infrastructure work and there was some resentment in 12 villages in the vicinityrdquo says Haribhai Pase adding that AAP will not impact the result in any manner ldquoAAP will cut into the Congress sharerdquo quips another BJP worker and former sarpanch of a village that has been merged with the civic corporation Kutiyana and Porbandar will vote on December 1Dec 1When Porbandar and Kutiyana will go to polls