With countdown to the elections almost at an end, stakes are high as the political parties are fully immersed in campaigning and building alliances. For lack of coherent issues, the opposition to the current government has been set on condemning the current government and is actually following the strategy which says, “Choose us because they are bad” instead of “choose us because we are good”.
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Amidst these strategies, there is one individual by the name of Shankersinh Vaghela who values friendships and morals more than petty tactics. Congress and Nationalist Congress Party have been pushing the NCP leader Shankersinh Vaghela to contest against Amit Shah in Gandhi Nagar. NCP and Congress are in talks over alliance in the state. Both the parties believe that only “bapu” of Indian politics can counter the popularity of Amit Shah in the constituency.
The politically crucial state of Gujarat has been a BJP stronghold since the past many years. Congress, even after causing such atrocities that Shankersinh Vaghela had to quit, now shamelessly wants to ally with NCP just to get his support. Given 2014’s poll results, wherein BJP had won all 26 Gujarat seats to Lok Sabha, Congress needed a miracle to try and get in the league this time. Adding to their worries is the fact that Amit Shah, widely regarded as one of the most popular leaders in modern Indian politics will be contesting from Gandhi Nagar. Congress views Shankersinh Vaghela as the miracle that may make them relevant in Gujarat.
However, Vaghela has emphatically refused to contest the elections against Amit Shah. Choosing to abide by his RSS values and beliefs, Vaghela realises that Amit Shah’s popularity is attributed to the fact that people desire him and trying to influence this would be dirty politics. Moreover, he maintains cordial relations with PM Modi and values his friendship deeply. Vaghela stated, “Reports of my contesting from Gandhinagar are not correct I clarified last week that I will not contest the Lok Sabha election” He also continued by adding, “I have not yet spoken to Sharad Pawar. I cannot say what will transpire after we have spoken. But I have said that I will not contest the coming elections.” This implies that Sharad Pawar led NCP is trying to coerce Vaghela into contesting the elections against Amit Shah but he is his voluntary capacity does not want to do so.
Vaghela and PM Modi have shared very amicable relations since the beginning. Being meticulous planners and orators, they both served as RSS Pracharaks and later as politicians from Gujarat. When PM Modi was starting his journey as a politician in BJP, Vaghela was an MP in the Lok Sabha and also held the post of the party president for Gujarat. He played a significant role in the BJP when the party was in a crucial phase of its political development – the time of the Ayodhya Rath Yatra. Vaghela also had a good rapport with the yatra’s leader LK Advani. During this time, he forged a close relationship with Modi, mentoring the latter. The two were like peas in a pod and were known to travel together on Vaghela’s Royal Enfield, campaigning together across the state. “We would ride across the districts of Gujarat, meeting party sympathisers, business people, writers and commoners. We would stay in people’s houses. We did this for about five or six years”, Shankersinh Vaghela stated.
Differences emerged in the party when Keshubhai Patel was elevated to the post of chief minister due to which Vaghela resigned, but that did not tamper his relations with Modi. He formed his own party, thereafter joined the Congress and much recently, joined the NCP. But the mutual respect between the two remained unchanged through these transitions. Over the years Vaghela has been a staunch supporter of Modi, even defending him when the media and the opposition tried to interfere in his personal life regarding PM Modi’s marriage and wife. When BJP came out victorious after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and Narendra Modi was appointed as the Prime Minister, Vaghela gave a token of appreciation at the Gujarat Assembly, bidding farewell to his friend. He stated, “In 1984 it was 2, now it is 282 and the credit goes to Narendra Bhai. I hope within the framework of Constitution there is a Ram Mandir”. Vaghela also said the Gujarat chief minister becoming prime minister of India was a cause of happiness for everyone. The duo, while exchanging pleasantries had hugged each other and Vaghela gifted PM Modi a shawl.
Though Shankersinh Vaghela has been the leader of opposition in Gujarat and followed his duty sincerely, he did not let his political compulsions cloud his judgment regarding personal relations. Last year when he had left Congress, two reasons were attributed to his resignation. One was regarding Congress’ indecision on naming him as the chief ministerial candidate for the Assembly elections in 2017. The other, more covert was that his resignation was an attempt to divide the opposition votes and help BJP. Being a true RSS Pracharak by heart, Vaghela believes in the innate ideology of BJP. Party politics led to his resignation; however his character and his beliefs maintained their status quo. Shankersinh Vaghela’s refusal to go against Amit Shah, has introduced a sense of respect to historical ties in this otherwise morally bankrupt Opposition’s election campaigning.