Ahmedabad, Nov 28: It's a communal divide with voters polarised in Rakhial constituency where Gujarat home minister Gordhan Jhadafia is pitted against the mayor Himmat Singh Patel. The mention of BJP evokes anger from the minorities in this riot-affected seat.
"The party is not focusing on development at all. Just mandir-masjid. When I hear Togadia talking my blood boils," says a Gaffar who has seen better days in Bapunagar, locality of the Rakhial constituency.
Mohammad Yasin's pan shop in Bapunagar was shut down for two months following the violence. "What has the BJP done for us?" he snaps as more people gather around him echoing similar feelings.
But Gaffar and Yasin represent a community which constitutes only 20 per cent of the voters in the constituency. The home minister feels the communal divide is a temporary phenomenon but admits it will reflect in the voting pattern.
Jhadafia, who claims he is fighting the election mainly on development issues, feels Godhra will remain on people's minds even if the BJP does not make it a poll issue.
"We will not use pictures of trains and dead bodies of the Godhra victims but the mentality behind that violence cannot be forgotten."
He also says Gujarat BJP which earlier fought elections on the slogan of fighting "Bhaya, Bhook Aur Bhrashtachar (fear, hunger and corruption), is now fighting the "anti-nationals who don't want peace in the state. Bureau Report