Junagadh is famous for many things, but its Kesar variety of mangoes, Asiatic lions and Siddis, a tribe of African origin, are the most popular ones.
In a conversation on politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerges as the most popular figure in the region across the age and castes divide. The youngsters are for Modi while, people above 50 are not sure that Modi is still a good choice.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a lion of Gujarat. My vote is for him,” says 24-years-old Pravin Solanki, who assists Naranbhai Chandera, 50, who runs a pan shop in Talala town.
Chandera chastises Solanki for supporting Modi. In Chandera’s opinion, “The Congress is winning Jungadh for sure and that too with a big margin”.
This is how the Lok Sabha constituency seems to be divided this time. From 1991, when the BJP had started becoming a dominant force, to 2014, the party has lost only one election — and that too in 2004, when the party’s ‘India Shining’ campaign sank.
The Congress has fielded an experienced politician, the sitting MLA from Una Assembly seat Punjabhai Vansh, against BJP’s 37-year-old Rajesh Chudasama.
In 2017, Vansh had won the Assembly polls for the sixth time, while Chudasama, the sitting Parliamentarian, has been repeated by BJP.
Both are from the strong Koli community. Vansh has experience while Chudasama thrives as a young leader among voters. In 2014, Chudasama had defeated Vansh.
35-year-old Manoj Gadhvi, a private teacher from Rasulpara in Talala taluka, stopped near the site of Congress leader Hardik Patel’s election meet at Ankolwadi village on Friday in scorching heat.
He said, “I just came to see the helicopter. I will never support him or Congress”.
Nagabhai Vagandhra, 58, and Arvindbhai Chothani, 40, both farmers from Ankolwadi came to see Hardik Patel and the chopper but said, “Our votes are for Modi”.
Hardik Patel gave a brief speech in the village where he told the gathering that “the BJP doesn’t care for farmers and that in the last one year, 14 farmers committed suicide in Junagadh district”.
The Congress is banking on the 2017 Assembly results when it won all seven assembly seats — Talala, Una, Mangrol, Junagadh, Kodinar, Somnath and Visavdar from Junagadh district. There is a strong undercurrent against the BJP in Visavdar and Kodinar.
“There is lot of rift among BJP workers. A big BJP leader from Kodinar wanted ticket, but was denied. He is not helping Chudasama as he should have,” says a BJP worker in Kodinar, requesting anonymity.
Jambur village in Talala is known as the home for Siddis.
Mohammed Ramzan, a farm labourer, says, “I like Modijii but his party workers and local officers don’t treat us well. They don’t give us any benefits. There are 450 houses of the Siddi tribe but we are the most marginalised ones.”
In Amrutwel Gir village, which borders the Gir sanctuary, Praful Savaliya, 39, has complaints about the state government’s tourism policy.
He says, “Locals don’t get permit to get into tourism business. However, multi-national companies are exploiting the opportunity without any problem. I will vote for Modi but his government should give priority to locals as well.”