Gujarat Elections 2012: Rebellion stings BJP at hotbed Sanand

AHMEDABAD: If Bharatiya Janata Party won the Gujarat elections on the development plank, Sanand, just 20 km away from capital Gandhinagar stood out as a curious case. The ruling party that had been showcasing Sanand as a success story of Narendra Modi's growth model lost the seat to Congress after rebellion by a former MLA.

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Home to Tata's Nano, the much-talked about small car project, Sanand saw land prices zoom up to 300% and farmers turning millionaires almost overnight after the troubled car project was relocated from Singur in West Bengal.

The once-dusty pocket, now connected with a four-lane highway, has witnessed windfall since Nano relocation. However, the prosperity did not translate into votes for the party when BJP candidate Kama Rathod lost to Congressman Karamsi Patel by a margin of over 4,000 votes from the newly-formed assembly constituency.

Carved out from Viramgam constituency, a BJP stronghold, the seat was considered a safe bet for the party until former BJP MLA from Viramgam was denied a ticket and worked against the BJP.

“BJP created a hype of development. Locals have benefitted neither from Nano, nor from other industries in the region. Modi brought in outsiders and that worked against him,” says Surendrasinh Solanki, a Sanand resident.

Modi drew worldwide pat on his back for his statesmanship when he sheltered Ratan Tata's abandoned Nano project and promised to develop the town into a world-class auto hub. The plans enticed Ford Motors and a host of component makers.

All eyes were on Sanand and even lifestyle brands rushed to the neighbourhood to tap the neo-rich. However, Thursday was the time for a reality check. A visit from AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi drew staunch supporters to the fore leading to BJP's loss.

“The common man was disillusioned with Modi. It was a perception that members of the ruling party were striking land deals in the region and locals were left empty-handed,” said a Congress loyalist from the region. Caste politics was in full swing in the region, he says.

“Development was an illusion and the only thing to sway voters was caste,” says one. The constituency has 70,000 Koli Patel voters who hit BJP below the belt.