NEWS

Gujarat Blog: Saffron Solace

By Urvish Kothari
December 12, 2012 22:10 IST
'People can have the model T in any colour -- so long as it's black' said Henry Ford. Political pundits can use it with little variation in colour, for the outcomes of Gujarat elections.

As the polling of the first phase is taking place on Thursday, speculation mills of all kinds -- from satta (batting) to psephology -- are working overtime. An interesting prediction regarding Gujarat polls is: whichever party wins the battle, saffron will be the ultimate winner.

Coverage | Rediff Forecast

How come? The logic is simple and unnerving. Shankarsingh Vaghela of the Gujarat Congress has already declared himself 'captain' of the state unit, in case the Congress wins majority. Vaghela is an RSS veteran, in fact, the only one who can give Modi a run for his money, as they share the same roots and tactics.

Lack of prominence in the party prompted him to rebel and form a new party (Rashtriya Janta Party) which he ultimately merged with the Congress lock, stock and barrel.  There are no doubts whatsoever for the ultimate colour of GPP and Keshubhai Patel as his party has apparently provided the option to the Bharatiya Janata Party faithful unhappy with Modi.

The conclusion: Voters of Gujarat have the leader of any colour-- as long as it's saffron, or so it seems.

Also Read:

Gujarat Blog: Why vote for Modi if he's Delhi-bound?

Gujarat Blog: A circle full of ironies

Dalit Killings? Not an issue in Gujarat poll

Gujarat blog: V for Victimhood

'M for Modi' is actually 'M for Mr Moneybag' for BJP

Gujarat Polls: The games political parties play

Urvish Kothari

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