It is not easy to enthuse the Muslim voters. Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may have confronted Modi’s Hindutva plank, but the tone and tenor of the Congress campaign is far from it. Staying far away from questions of rule of law, the Congress campaign questions Modi’s claims of being a Hindu hero and vikas purush. For instance, one party advertisement says more than 500 temples have been broken into by thieves during Modi’s regime and asks if Hindus are safe under him. “The Congress is merely responding to the public mood which will react strongly against anything perceived to be pro-Muslim. They cannot question Modi on the rule of law,” says Mona Mehta, a PhD candidate at Chicago University, currently doing her field study on Gujarat politics.

Much like the way the community is mobilising itself, the Congress is stealthily reaching out to them—as if it were all underground politics. Key strategist Ahmad Patel has been on an extensive tour of the state. At least the vocal sections of Muslims appreciate the compulsions of the Congress. “The fact is that the Congress cannot transfer non-Muslim votes to a Muslim candidate. They also have to avoid a communal polarisation. That is a dilemma Muslims will have to understand,” says Shakeel Ahmad.