In Central Gujarat, the fight is getting dirty and desperate. Till recently, this was called the state’s silent poll zone, but the label is now lost in the sound and colour of campaigning.

In 2002, this was the region hit hardest by the riots after the burning of the Sabarmati Express. Godhra was at the epicentre of the riots but the aftershocks were felt in the entire region. The election result that year was a resounding victory for the BJP, with Central Gujarat, a traditional Congress stronghold, also going to the party. The Congress’s tally of 34 had come down to 8, while the BJP’s shot up from 16 to 42.

In 2007, the script is different. It’s not clear whether the BJP will repeat its success or the Congress will return to power. What is clear is that both the parties will have to contain the rebellion within before fighting each other.

However different the poll battle may be this year, Hindutva remains the flavour of the campaign. But this time it comes in different shades. There is the BJP’s brand of Hindutva and then there is an anti-BJP one. The most surprising is the Hindutva that is throwing its weight behind the Congress as the sadhus take to campaigning for the party. The fight for Central Gujarat has now become personal with the circulation of a sex CD, targeting Gujarat Congress chief Bharat Solanki.

Seeing the importance of the region, a week before Gujarat went to the polls in its first phase, Chief Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit. His road-show went past the tribal areas in Dahod and Kalol. But Central Gujarat is more than just the tribal areas. It’s also the cosmopolitan Vadodara, the lush Charotar region with its tobacco farms and milk cooperatives. Central Gujarat is also home to the strong pro-Modi NRI lobby.

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