THE SOUL OF THE BUSINESS
A PRIVATE   FAITH MADE DANGEROUSLY PUBLIC 
The Making of a Paper
 By SHOMA CHAUDHURY
 In Gratitude
 By TARUN J TEJPAL

By Mahesh Langa
Ahmedabad

Naya Bharat? Solanki Jr

Almost four months after the demise of Gujarat Congress chief BK Gadhvi, the party high command cleared the appointment of Anand MP Bharatsinh Solanki as its Gujarat unit chief last week.

Son of former Gujarat CM Madhavsinh Solanki, Bharatsinh is a first-timer in the Lok Sabha. He had been the mla from the Solankis’ borough since 1995. After Gadhvi’s death in September 2005, the party’s lack of direction showed in its humiliating losses in the polls for local bodies in the state recently.

Solanki’s appointment comes at a time when the party has been relegated to a non-entity. In this light, the task before Solanki is Herculean as he will have to prove his mettle in less than two years, with Assembly elections due in end-2007.

Apart from taking on the might of Modi, Solanki has to revitalise the party cadre that has been demoralised after its rout in municipal polls. He also has to contain the increasing factionalism in the state unit as every leader has his own coterie.

A senior mla said Solanki can create wonders if he takes his tasks seriously. “Bharatbhai has certain natural advantages like huge caste backing, his father’s rich experience in organising workers and, more importantly, he is acceptable to all the warring factions in the state unit,” he said.

Solanki belongs to the obc category that accounts for over 35 percent of the state’s population. In fact, his father Madhavsinh was the engineer of the kham (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim) vote bank that created a powerful social base for the Congress in Gujarat. The party had won two consecutive elections on the kham platform in the 80s.

Solanki Jr also has to do something likewise to create a vote bank ahead of the Assembly polls.

Solanki also has his disadvantages. It is no mean task to work with the grassroots workers and take all factional leaders along.

Solanki, who is known to be aggressive and flamboyant, would have to change a lot in himself to ensure a turnaround for the Congress. “If he wants to succeed, he has to shed his arrogance and his flamboyant lifestyle. Otherwise these two would prove to be his undoing,” warned a senior leader.

Another party mla, who was groomed by the senior Solanki, believes that with hard work and down to earth approach Bharatsinh can revive the party. “First and foremost, he has to work hard. He will have to work in a manner that can connect him with the masses. Relating with the public is very important because he has to take on Modi’s propaganda,” he said.

The Congress had last won an Assembly election in Gujarat in 1985 under the leadership of Madhavsinh Solanki.

That victory still remains a record; the party had won 149 of the 182 seats. It remains to be seen if Bharatsinh Solanki can carry forward his father’s winning legacy.