Raghu Sharma: 'Modi Magic Won't Work Always'

'It is creditable that the BJP builds the organisation set-up and then looks for leaders.'
'The Congress on the other hand has to care for the leaders more than the organisation.'

IMAGE: Bharatiya Janata Party supremo and Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi at a roadshow for the Gujarat assembly election in Ahmedabad, December 1, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo

Congress General Secretary Raghu Sharma was in charge of the party's campaign and strategy for the Gujarat assembly election.

A large number of Congress MLAs had defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party and various district offices of the party were closing down one by one because of large scale shift of loyalty by the party's cadre before Sharma was appointed by the Congress leadership.

After the Congress debacle in the assembly election, a tired and disappointed Raghu Sharma spoke to Rediff.com Senior Contributor Prakash Bhandari in Jaipur in an exclusive intervoew.

What caused the Congress rout in Gujarat?

I was given 14 months to rejuvenate the party when all its district units had almost shut their offices.

My task was to first reorganise the organisational setup. To my dismay, more and more party cadres were shedding their membership to join the BJP.

Prime Minister Modi made more than 18 visits to the state and made the issue of Gujarati Asmita (Gujarat's pride). He told the people they would have to strengthen the hands of a Gujarati prime minister. The emotional appeal worked wonders.

IMAGE: Bhupendra Patel, who will be sworn in as Gujarat's chief minister for a second time on Monday, December 12, at a meeting of newly elected BJP MLAs at the party's state headquarters Kamalam in Gandhinagar, December 10, 2022.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Gujarat BJP President C R Paatil and senior party leader B S Yediyurappa are also seen. Photograph: PTI Photo

How did Modi and Amit Shah's frequent visits tilt the balance in the BJP's favour?

It did not happen overnight. Modi during his every visit brought a central government development package and some Rs 44,000 crore packages were given by Modi to Gujarat.

Investments to the state flowed like water and the biggest was Anil Agarwal's semiconductor project that ensured employment opportunities for about a lakh Gujarati youth.

How did the denial of tickets to 35 sitting BJP MLAs help the party?

The BJP could do it because it had a good bench strength in all four regions of Gujarat as its organisational strength was far stronger than the Congress.

It is creditable that the BJP builds the organisation set-up and then looks for leaders.

The Congress on the other hand has to care for the leaders more than the organisation.

The party's cadre believed in building their leadership rather than strengthening the organisation.

Was AAP successful in building its organisational set-up in the state?

AAP, like the BJP, spent huge money in the election; they hired volunteers for Rs 1,200 a day to work for them.

The AAP supremo promised voters freebies, but with a weak organisation AAP could not convince the voters.

The freebies did not work in Gujarat. However, AAP was successful in fetching Muslim votes and this was done at our cost.

IMAGE: Home Minister Anilchandra Amit Shah, who masterminded the BJP's electoral campaign in Gujarat, at a roadshow for the assembly election at Sanand in Ahmedabad, December 3, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo

The much-publicised Rajasthan model did not work for the Congress?

Hahaha (laughs), nothing worked. Even AAP's freebies also did not work.

The BJP offered OBCs a good number of party nominations and it worked very well for the party.

Apart from mustering Patidar votes, the BJP also dented Congress votes among the OBCs.

AAP declared Isubhai Gadhvi, an OBC, as its chief minister's face, but the trick did not work and even Gadhvi lost.

AAP won 13 percent of votes, and these votes were of the Congress.

AAP played spoilsport for the Congress and helped the BJP muster its numbers.

Even if the Congress and AAP had an electoral alliance it was not enough to outwit the BJP.

The Congress and AAP collectively had a 40 percent share against the BJP's 52 percent, a very wide difference.

Do you think the BJP could be defeated in the next election with a combined Opposition?

Alliances and electoral adjustments are an issue that the high command deals with. I am not authorised to speak about it.

A lot would depend on AAP and other smaller parties and how they go ahead with their plans for the future.

IMAGE: Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule celebrates with party workers in Nagpur after the win in Gujarat. Photograph: PTI Photo

Tribals in the five Gujarat districts of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Panchmahal, Mahisagar, and Dahod voted overwhelmingly for the BJP.
Is this because the BJP made a tribal the President?

There are 30 seats in these districts. The BJP won 22 seats in the five constituencies while the Congress could win six. Two seats were won by the Independents.

I can tell you that the Congress will perform better in these five assembly segments in the Lok Sabha elections.

These tribal seats adjoin Rajasthan's tribal districts of Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, Sirohi and Udaipur.
Do you think the BJP success could have an adverse effect on the Congress prospects in the various tribals seats for next year's assembly election in Rajasthan?

Modi magic would not work always. The Congress is strongly pitched in the 27 tribal seats in Rajasthan and we will win a majority of them.

IMAGE: BJP leaders and workers celebrate the party's triumph in Gandhinagar. Photograph: PTI Photo

What are your suggestions for the rejuvenation of the Congress in Gujarat?

There is no substitute for a strong organisation. We have to restructure and rebuild, and this could be done by inducting the youth. We have to give the youth hope and confidence.