For a town that has courted such widespread attention, Godhra is reeling under neglect. For, the riots that placed the town at the centre of all political debate have also pushed the largest town of Panchmahals district into untold economic dereliction.

Despite being employed as a war-cry by all political parties in the coming elections, the issues of unemployment and lack of trade and development have been superseded by “riots and the Sabarmati train”.

The battle for Godhra resembles a 1992 by-election this time, with the same candidates fighting each other, but from rival camps. So C.K. Raulji, the current Congress candidate, contested on a BJP ticket in 1992 and defeated Congress’ s Prabhatsinh Chauhan, who is currently the BJP candidate. However, in 2002 elections, Chauhan (by now in the BJP) managed to defeat Congress’ Raulji by 12,000 votes in the Kalol constituency. This, despite the fact that Panchmahals’ constituencies comprise a significant 50 per cent Muslim population; it was the VHP’s inroads into rural Godhra that helped the BJP win in 2002.

Now, the BJP is desperate to retain Godhra, if only for the psychological edge. As senior BJP leaders say, “Narendra Modi said that even if we win 130 seats, it is Godhra which will be spoken about.”

Traditionally, Godhra has always voted for a candidate rather than a political party. Raulji won the elections twice in a row, in 1990 and 1995, first under the Janata Dal and later as a BJP man. In fact, it was Raulji’s candidature that forced the BJP to replace sitting MLA Haresh Bhatt with Chauhan, the Minister for Tribal Affairs, and long-time BJP victor from Kalol.

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