Ahmedabad: According to the 2011 census, Gujarat ranks tenth in population with 6,44,39,092 in the country. The state came into being on May 1, 1960 and its first chief minister was Jivraj Mehta after who name many institutions have been named. Since the foundation of Gujarat and throughout the uninterrupted rule of the Congress, Gujarat has been known for its reputation as a peaceful, commercial, and industry-friendly state from where a large number of people go abroad.
Congress ruled Gujarat from 1960 to 1995. It was ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party from March 1995 to 1998. There are four leaders from both the Congress and BJP who have left far-reaching impact during this period. There was Ahmed Patel, who hailed from Gujarat but had become close to the Gandhi family in Delhi and Madhavsinh Solanki whose strategies require study. Then there are Keshubhai Patel, who brought the BJP at the forefront of Gujarat politics, and the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi. What were the political strategies of these four stalwarts which enabled them reach the high position of power.
Congress stalwart Madhavsinh Solanki
We remembered extremely loyal Congress leader Madhavsinh Solanki at the time of his death recently. All mass media publications have written about his deep impact on politics. Madhavsinh Solanki was an erudite reader who had acquired wide knowledge. As a Gujarati, he knew the pulse of the people. As for his campaign-style, he was not an assertive person who liked to trumpet his work and achievements. However, his actions let the people know what his government was doing.
Those days, during the elections public meetings and giving interviews to newspapers were the two main tools by which political leaders conveyed their message to the public. Madhavsinh Solanki too used these tools. It was possible for a common man to meet him, provided he was not engaged in official urgent work. He mostly looked up for guidance from the party high command in Delhi and followed its directives faithfully. He was a thorough gentleman and a warm person. It was only because of his decent personal behaviour and the KHAM theory that he would always be remembered in public life at a time when politics is all about winning elections.
The coalition of Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim (KHAM) had helped the Congress come to power in Gujarat. His KHAM strategy was so successful that even after decades when the foundation of political strategy is laid in Gujarat, no political party can afford to ignore caste-based vote bank calculations. This is the immortal contribution of Madhavsinh Solanki in the publicity-oriented Gujarat politics.
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Ahmed Patel as a loyal Congress leader confidante of the Gandhi family
Jinnah and Ahmed Patel were two Muslim sons of the soil of Gujarat. People of Gujarat had honoured and welcomed these two Gujarati leaders in their time. Jinnah was such a great strategist that he could get his own nation by the partition of India. But Ahmed Patel, though remaining behind the scene, helped the Congress and the Gandhi family enjoy power.
Never has there been a public event where Ahmed Patel has shown the eagerness of occupying a chair. Yet, no one can deny the fact that Ahmed Patel’s voice mattered. Ahmed Patel had represented Gujarat eight times, three times – 1977, 1980 and 1984 as member of the Lok Sabha and five times – 1993,1999, 2005, 2011 and 2017 as member of the Rajya Sabha.
From the election of the Bharuch municipality in 1976 till the last keenly contested Rajya Sabha election he won in 2017, Ahmed Patel worked from behind the scene. Whoever met him in the party could never forget him. He assiduously shied publicity and remained an enigma for the public, except for a few Congress leaders.
However, he was active in formulating the campaign strategy of the party and was the troubleshooter of the Congress and the Gandhi family. He knew Congress workers, MLAs, MPs throughout the country personally. He was an efficient organizer who could accomplish the most difficult tasks in no time. He was efficient in organizing logistics, a jet, mobilizing people for rallies or collecting funds. His efficiency in these tasks was unquestionable. As he was an expert strategists in tapping experts, he could become a close confidant of the Gandhi family and the presidents of the Congress party. It was because of his public relations policy that his clout in Delhi and in Gujarat remained intact.
Keshubhai Patel who brought BJP to power
It was only on October 29, 2020 when the news of Keshubhai Patel’s death came that the new generation of Gujaratis came to know that he was a real mass leader who had built the BJP to such a height. One cannot separate the rise of Keshubhai Patel and the BJP as both were closely linked. It is surprising about Keshubhai Patel, born into an ordinary farmer family that when he was born and till he grew to be a young man the public life in Gujarat was dominated by the Congress. Saurashtra was a politically active region which had given many an eminent leaders. But none was like Keshubhai.
Keshubhai was rooted to the people at the grassroots. He was dedicated to public service which was his means, not for power. His public contact style was unique. His public life in Visavadar-Rajkot was not marked by a sudden rise. Keshubhai’s was a typical Jan Sangh’s style of functioning. He could be seen conversing comfortably with any ordinary citizen.
Starting as a Swayamsevak, he rose to power step by step as a member of the municipality, state assembly, state BJP president, leader of the opposition, minister, chief minister and member of the parliament. He gained people’s affection because of his good nature. However, he failed somewhere in his strategy as those who had rebelled against him and unceremoniously thrown him out of the party were the same persons who had risen to power riding on his shoulders. Among those who had stabbed his back might include even those who have attained a position of great fame. This is why Shankersinh Vaghela expressed regret after his death that he had become instrumental in Keshubhai’s downfall. Time has proved that Keshubhai was a misfit in the politics of publicity.
Narendra Modi, an out and out man of marketing
No one can have any doubt today that Narendra Modi is the only charismatic leader in BJP. Like Keshubhai, he too came to BJP from Jan Sangh and is today serving the nation as the Prime Minister. From the way he has shown his publicity strategy with a flourish, no one among the politicians in the country can out shine Narendra Modi. He presents the classic case of a leader who has developed expertise in magnifying and marketing his achievements like no other leader in the country is able to match.
What is the biggest difference between Modi and the above mentioned three leaders? Look at his stylist and appropriate appearance for different occasions, his oratory, his memorable statements full of knowledge, his ability to convince people, his strategy of placing himself as India’s representative before the world, his style of work to boost pending development work, firm grip over the party organization, his tact of assigning a specific task to the appropriate worker or leader, his ability to single-handedly face and ignore endless criticism and charges levelled by the opposition, firmly stick to the assigned goals are some of the features of Narendra Modi’s unique personality. Looking at his political journey, we would notice that he dedicates his full self after setting his agenda. He has the confidence and patience to convert any situation to his favour. In the larger canvas, Modi becomes a giant of a man who instils the confidence in people that he will act what he says. This is the success of his strategy of how a Swayamsevak could become the Prime Minister.
It is rare among Indian leaders to find a techno-savvy leader like him. The world is noting that India is hoping to go on a path of development under the leadership of such a leader who has influence over social media and mass media. This too is on account of Modi’s successful publicity policy.
Talking to ETV Bharat, political analysts Dilip Gohil and Jayawant Pandya said the biggest contribution to Gujarat’s politics has been of Gandhiji and Sardar Patel. But in today’s context, there are four names of political leaders who come to mind, two belong to the Congress and two to the BJP. One among them, who is alive and sitting on the highest seat of power in Delhi, is Prime Minister Narendra Modi while the other three have passed away. Though the three other leaders are no more they have made a notable contribution to Gujarat’s politics. Ahmed Patel and Narendra Modi have contributed much to both state and national politics. The other two leaders Keshubhai Patel and Madhavsinh Solanki have contributed mostly to politics at Gujarat level and brought significant changes.
Madhavsinh Solanki is credited for the KHAM theory which helped the Congress come to power with the highest number of assembly seats. However, the anti-reservation agitation marked the end of the Madhavsinh Solanki era from where began the Keshubhai Patel’s time. After Madhavsinh Solanki’s departure, Ahmed Patel was a national-level leader. However, he could not contribute much to the Congress in Gujarat.
Keshubhai Patel came to power after the departure of Madhavsinh Solanki. Keshubhai Patel faced a rebellion from his own party, the BJP and was compelled to resign the post of chief minister. After Keshubhai, Narendra Modi became the chief minister. However, Keshubhai is remembered even today because he had contributed along with Chimanbhai to the public life along even before he became the chief minister.
Ahmed Patel too had played a prominent role in politics at the national level but he could not do much in Gujarat politics. He had reached very close to the power in Delhi but could not get power in Gujarat. While Narendra Modi attained power because of his self-confidence and popularity, Ahmed Patel’s popularity and trust remained to the Congress party and the party high command.
Today, it is Narendra Modi who is playing the lead role in his party at the national level as well as the Prime Minister.
