Moditva overpowers Hindutva

It is a hard-earned victory for the BJP in Gujarat, its 'Hindutva laboratory', the credit for which mainly goes to Narendra Modi.

Attacks and ''sabotage'' came from both within the party and political rivals for the Chief Minister, who was the BJP's face in the crucial elections in the communally-sensitive state.

The victory will give a boost to Modi's stature within the BJP, considering that he single-handedly powered the party to victory, relegating the top leadership to the backseat during the high-voltage and bitter campaigning.

As results showed, the rebels did not pose much of a threat to the BJP in Saurashtra though the party lost some ground in Central Gujarat, hit badly by the post-Godhra riots in 2002.

The Assembly election was virtually a battle between Modi and anti-Modi forces, which even the 57-year-old former RSS pracharak's hardcore detractors would admit.

The Congress, which was desperate to wrest power from the BJP in the state after 12 years, focussed its entire campaign on attacking Modi, clearly indicating that he was the challenge that the party had to overcome.

Despite his being attacked for his role in the riots, the BJP consciously decided to project Modi as the 'man for Gujarat', seeing him as a perfect foil for an emotive 'jitega Gujarat' (Gujarat will win) campaign.

Modi set the agenda for the tightly-fought race right from the beginning, whether it is his emphasis on development initially or the clever use of Hindutva later.

Courtesy:ndtv.com
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