In the last month and a half, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have left no stone unturned in an attempt to win the Gujarat Assembly elections. From ‘vikas’ to Patidar agitation, from sex tapes to Pakistan’s alleged meddling in the elections to even Rahul Gandhi’s temple run – the campaign had it all.
With less than 24 hours to go for the second phase of polling in the state, the cacophony may have died down but the confusion hasn’t. With all the issued raised by both the parties, especially those pertaining to Mani Shankar Aiyar’s “neech aadmi” remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the PM’s subsequent tirade against former PM Manmohan Singh, The Quint hit the streets of Ahmedabad to ask people whether these issues will impact their vote and the voting behaviour at large.
Most people The Quint spoke to have not yet decided who they will vote for, as both the BJP and the Congress engaged in a shrill battle for the people’s mandate. While some stated that the BJP’s comments on Mani Shankar Aiyar and Pakistan are relevant as it is a matter of national security, others dismissed it as “normal” for politicians to speak this way during election season.
During Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel’s last rally in Ahmedabad on Monday, 11 December, some Patidars openly voiced their support for the Congress. The memories of the police violence witnessed immediately after Patel’s maha rally in August 2015 may still be fresh among Patidars, yet many are still loyal to the saffron party and Modi’s hand at the Centre and the state is a crucial factor.
Never has Gujarat’s mandate stood at knife’s edge as that on 14 December, which marks the final phase of polling for 93 seats across north Gujarat, Ahmedabad, and Vadodara.
Video Producer: Anmol Saini
Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj
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