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Green embraces saffron in Konkan

Updated on: 02 May,2011 06:19 AM IST  | 
Varun Singh |

Muslims are switching loyalties from the Congress to the Shiv Sena, which is being seen in a new light since it lent its support to the popular protest against the Jaitapur nuclear plant

Green embraces saffron in Konkan

Muslims are switching loyalties from the Congress to the Shiv Sena, which is being seen in a new light since it lent its support to the popular protest against the Jaitapur nuclear plant

Shiv Sena's decision of lending its weight to the popular uprising against the proposed nuclear plant at Jaitapur is turning out to be a political masterstroke. Locals and political observers say the move is reviving the saffron party's flagging fortunes in the Konkan belt and has even led to the party gaining favour among Muslims -- a formidable vote bank that has always eluded it.



The Sena has been trying hard to regain control of the coastal belt, which is seen as Industries Minister Narayan Rane's pocket borough, since 2005, when Rane joined the Congress, taking the area's votes with him. The Congress' alleged indifference to the villagers' protest and the Sena's unflagging support for it is, however, making the tide turn the saffron way again.

According to Prashant Hachreckar, a senior journalist who has been observing the Jaitapur issue closely, the Congress, and Rane, are losing their support base in the area. The main reason for this, he says, is that while not one Congress worker visited the village to try and understand the people's problems, Sena workers and MLA Rajan Salvi have been in constant touch with the locals.

"If there is a re-election, Member of Parliament Nilesh Rane (Narayan Rane's son) would definitely lose. The senior Rane's support base has also eroded significantly. He seems to be in no mood to gauge the popular sentiment and act accordingly and this is going to cost him dear," said Hachrekar. He said that the villagers also find it difficult to meet the Ranes to tell them about their problems. "The locals say it is difficult for them to meet both Nilesh and Narayan Rane to air their grievances. While Congress leaders are generally being seen as aloof, the perception is the opposite for the Sena. With the saffron party supporting the villagers, the public sentiment will convert into votes," he added.

Muslim support
The bulk of the protestors of the nuclear plant comprise mango farmers and fishermen. The latter, most of whom are Muslims, have traditionally been non-Sena supporters because of its hardcore Hindu stand. However, in the last month or so, the mood seems to be changing among the Muslims in Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and other districts of the Konkan belt. Members of the community are beginning to show an inclination towards the saffron party -- a fact that has been borne out by their attendance at Sena rallies.

While only 15,000-odd people turned up at a rally held in support of the nuclear power plant in March, where Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Narayan Rane were present, a rally by Uddhav Thackeray a few days later saw a turnout of close to 50,000. Nearly 30,000 of these were Muslims, who were easily identifiable because of their skullcaps.

Sarkuseth Kazi, who lost his nephew Irfan Kazi to a police accident during a protest against the plant in December, said he was a staunch Congress supporter earlier. "The winds of change are evident. Nobody is denying that the Sena may have lent its support to the protest for political gains but the silence of the Congress and its anti-people stand has left us with no choice. There is no doubt that Muslims in the area are increasingly switching loyalties from the Congress to the Sena," he said.

"Rane is slowly losing ground amongst the populace. The time has passed when candidates at the local government level would win just by taking Rane's name. The Shiv Sena will definitely get many more votes this time around as the general perception is that the saffron party is supporting us in the protest," he added.

Differing receptions
Congress MP Bhalchandra Mungekar was shooed away by the locals when he tried visiting the home of Tabrez Sayekar, the youth who lost his life to a police bullet earlier this month. When Thackeray visited the village, however, he was welcomed with open arms. "The Congress is one of the reasons we lost our village lad. How could we let a Congress MP in? Thackeray, on the other hand, is supporting us. He has promised to help us and we find him genuine," said Majeed Goankar, a villager.

Amjad Borkar, a social activist and Muslim leader from the area, concurred. "There is no doubt in my mind that even the Muslims are supporting the Sena now. I can't say this with certainty about staunch Congress supporters, but many Muslims will now vote for the Sena after seeing their support for the protest. This will increase the Sena's vote base in Muslim pockets as well," said Borkar. Meanwhile, Narayan Rane is planning to visit Ratnagiri for a school opening today and locals claim that people aren't interested in flocking to see him like they used to earlier.

Political voices
We are not trying to please any vote bank. Voting will take place in the area only if humans are able to live there, which will not happen if the project comes up. We are supporting the common man in his fight against the nuclear plant and that will continue to remain our main focus
-- Neelam Gorhe, spokesperson, Shiv Sena


The protest against the nuclear plant is going to go on for a long time and the people will go against the government if the project is forced on them. The people are concerned about their livelihood and if they want to stamp out the common man's very existence, people will support the Sena-BJP irrespective of their religion. Muslim voters are surely going to support us this time, because they have understood that the Congress is using them.
--u00a0Madhav Bhandari, spokesperson, BJP



We did go wrong at certain points and were unable to make the people understand the good that will come from the project. Police atrocities added fuel to the anger against the party and the government. This doesn't mean, that the people who have been supporting the Congress will join hands with the Sena. Everyone knows that the Sena is doing all this for political gains."
--u00a0Hussain Dalwai, general secretary, Congress


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