Familiar contest in Gujarat’s Porbandar: Former PCC chief Arjun Modhvadiya versus minister Babu Bokhiriya

Modhvadiya, a former president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress, was nominated Sunday. He has been contesting against Bokhiriya for over a decade and is banking on his image against that of the minister for fisheries and animal husbandry portfolios.

According to an analysis by Association for Democratic Reforms, Bokhiriya faces charges of theft, criminal trespass and concealing design to commit offence which is his duty (as a public servant) to prevent.

The first time the two leaders faced off, in 1998, Bokhiriya — who was defending the seat he had won in 1995 — relegated Modhvadiya to third position. In 2002, Modhvadiya pipped Bokhiriya by a slender margin; in 2007, he was reelected (against a different BJP candidate). In 2012, Bokhiriya defeated Modhvadiya again.

“I lost because of Modi saab’s speech at this Sudama Chowk,” Modhvadiya said. “He talked about me for 45 minutes and at the end asked the voters not to look at the candidates [of BJP] but vote for him. I am your legislator and I will respond even at midnight.”

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The Congress leader frequently brought up the “safety” of the party cadre working for him. This is the town where one of this trusted aides, Congress leader Mulu Modhwadiya, was gunned down at point-blank range outside his house in November 2005. Initially accused in the case were Bhima Dula Odedara, a cousin of Bokhiriya, and Odedara’s son Lakshman, who has now got the BJP ticket from Kutiyana. In 2013, a court in Porbandar acquitted them.

Lakshman, who is president of Porbandar agriculture produce market committee, is also a nephew of Karsan Odedra, former BJP MLA from Kutiyana. All of them, as well as Modhvadiya, belong to the Mer community.

Though Modhvadiya refrained from naming Bokhiriya for the most part of his speech, he did allege that the BJP minister was the main figure behind an ongoing land scam in Porbandar which, according to him, “has turned into a city of potholes”.

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Kutiyana is held by the NCP; the Congress is not allying with the NCP this time. The Congress candidate, Vejabhai Modedara, was at Modhvadiya’s gathering. So was additional DG (retired) VV Rabari who appealed to Maldhari youths to vote for the Congress. Rabari had joined the Congress in 2012.

Said Vikram Modhvadiya, a groundnut farmer who had come from Modhwada village, said, “Both Arjun and Babubhai are from our community. But people are now started seeing through the BJP. Babubhai himself had promised that people in villages will ride two and four-wheelers. Forget all that, we are not even getting adequate prices for our farm produce.”

A tea-seller, Suresh Solanki, had a different view. “I feel the BJP candidate will return to power. Though they have not done much work during the last five years, there has been a lot of peace. Modhvadiya is a good man, but what can he do alone if the Congress does not come to power at Gandhinagar?”