NEWS
ANALYSIS
SPECIALS
INTERVIEW
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
CONSTITUENCY
ISSUES
GALLERY
MANIFESTOS
INDIA SPEAKS!
COUNTDOWN
CHAT
PREVIOUS RESULTS
SCHEDULE
DISCUSSION GROUP

Advani gets heckled

Amberish K Diwanji in Gandhinagar

L K Advani faced some anxious moments when he visited the Sachivalaya in his constituency, when he faced jeers from an extremely angry gathering of people and also from the residents of Dhola Kuan, which lies on the periphery of Gandhinagar.

The reasons for the anger are not far to find. If anything, they are the standard complaints that most Indians have against their political leaders.

"Advaniji visits us only during election times. Where was he for the entire year after we elected him? And now, will he visit us again only when the next elections are due?" asked angry voices.

The crowd comprised what is usually considered the BJP's bastion -- middle class, salaried, upper-caste Gujaratis -- who have over the past decade been the party's most ardent supporters. Gujarat was among the first states in India to prop up a BJP government. But today, the same "ardent supporters" are in no mood to let Advani speak.

And it didn't help matters that the normally well-organised BJP unit gave him a microphone that did not work. With his voice barely audible, the crowds at the rear continued with their heckling and did not appear to care about what he said. Though they would fall silent for some time, it would be a temporary reprieve as some other section would start shouting. And every section of the crowd had a complaint or two.

Specific local causes were behind the seething anger. The single most important cause of the people's hostility was that Gandhinagar had been deprived of potable water, making it unlivable. "We get water for just one hour in the morning, while the politicians get water for 24 hours a day. What kind of justice is this?" asked one, "And how can so little water suffice in this hot weather?"

The slogan being raised was ' Pani pachhi Advani' (Advani after water). Incidentally, water, or rather the lack of it, is the burning issue in Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat that was constructed on the banks of the Sabarmati in the 1960s. However, with the rains continuing to play truant in Gujarat (over much of the past two decades), the Sabarmati has been running dry for the past two years, and water is at an unaffordable premium for the middle-class and poor.

Another section of the crowd was protesting against the recent decision of the state government to shut down the Gujarat Dairy Development Corporation, rendering 1600 workers jobless. This section was clearly the most vocal, directing most of its ire at Vajubhai Vali, the local MLA who was standing alongside Advani. In fact, the heckling began because Vali decided to speak first and the crowd was clearly in no mood to hear him.

Then there were references to Advani's promises made during his last campaign when he promised to raise the income tax limit to Rs 100,000; the lack of transport facilities, especially in and around Gandhinagar; corruption among the officers in the Sachivalaya that made life impossible; and the fact that during the past year in the Lok Sabha, Advani had not spoken about the Narmada issue, which many believe would resolve the water problem.

"If Advani is not interested in Gandhinagar and Gujarat, then he should stand from somewhere else," said another person in the crowd, "Let us get someone who will at least take care of our basic needs and concerns. Advani can continue being a national leader."

Advani also appears to be paying the price for the disenchantment of the people with the state BJP government. Most people this correspondent spoke to said they were really angry with the state government and were just protesting to Advani on his visit.

"For years, the state BJP government would say that it could not implement its schemes because the government at the Centre was hostile to it. But now what is their excuse? For almost one and a half years, the government at the Centre has been a BJP government, yet the state government has done precious little," said one Mehta. He added that though he held Advani in high regard and would vote for him, he wanted Advani to crack the whip on the state government.

The BJP local unit also did not help soothe tempers when some workers entered the crowd and threatened those making a ruckus. However, it was Advani's firm insistence that the BJP workers come out of the crowd and the presence of a large posse of policemen in the crowd that ensured that no trouble broke out. "Imagine if the BJP goons can be so tough with the Sachivalaya employees, what trouble they are causing in the villages," said a bespectacled junior officer.

Strangely, despite the anger, a majority of the people spoken to (and at least 25 people must have given their views) admitted that they would still vote for Advani. Said the bespectacled junior officer, "No doubt there are a few who will vote for the Congress this time, especially those in the dairy that was shut down, but we will vote for Advani."

A person from the shut-down dairy corporation echoed the sentiment. "We are angry with Advani for not intervening to help us. I won't vote for him but I know that most of the other people will vote for him," he said.

Later, a BJP worker too expressed confidence that Advani would romp home. "Most of these Sachivalaya employees actually reside in Ahmedabad and hence Gandhinagar is not their constituency. So it will not affect his victory. And only a few people are really angry, perhaps for justified reasons, but they are the ones who make the most noise and give the impression that everyone is hostile," said the worker.

The worker may be right. But clearly, Advani will have to visit Gandhinagar more often, and also be more involved in the local politics. Otherwise, if the present rate of disenchantment continues, the next elections could spell trouble for him.

Tell us what you think of this report