IBNlive Chat: Gujarat Elections 2007, beyond Modi

SET FOR POLLS: Modi is ahead, but there is a sense that he is losing steam.

Featured Blog

Rajdeep Sardesai

Television, for politicians with a vision

Featured Slideshows

Related Headlines

powered by

• Narendra Modi in win-win situation for next term
• Modi in Delhi to meet senior BJP leaders
• Modi has moved away from Hindu ideaology, says Togadia

Keywords: BJP, Narendra Modi

As Gujarat heads towards polls, CNN-IBN's Political Editor Bhupendra Chaubey answers questions on everything you wanted to know about Gujarat Assembly Elections 2007 in a live chat on IBNLive. Here is the full transcript of the chat:

Rahul Sharda: Do you think if Modi loses, all politicians will think hard work and good administration does not translate to votes and it will have impact on the way politics is run in India?

Bhupendra Chaubey: It’s a big IF that you are talking about. I think the Gujarat elections are about development versus perception. Unlike say a Chandrababu Naidu, Modi has to battle between what he has done for the state and what people think he has done for it. Either ways, the results will have a long term impact on our polity.

Chandra: Mr Chaubey, congrats on your one-on-one with Modi. So what do you foresee about the Gujarat polls?

Bhupendra Chaubey: It’s a million dollar question. Honestly I think he is on a weak wicket. The only thing that can really take him past the post is a solid turnout. But how will that happen, given the fact that his own party is against him?

Haribaskaran: What is the possibility of an Hung Assembly in Gujarat? If so, is there any possibility of a coalition government?

Bhupendra Chaubey: No possibility so far. Gujarat has always been a two horse race. Also the reason why people are talking about a hung assembly is that maybe the rebels will win a lot of seats. I don’t think the likes of Suresh Mehta, Gordhan Zadaphiya and even Keshubhai Patel are today in a position to wrest seats away from BJP. But certainly they will eat into a lot of votes.

Woke up to chat with you in Dallas: Ok, accepted BJP divides on religious lines but Congress is dividing on caste lines. Which one is worse?

Bhupendra Chaubey: Both are equally bad. Whether it’s Kham or its Ramayana versus Kuran, the devil is the same in both cases.

Maya (Zurich): Is Modi more communal than Asauddin Owaisi, Mehbooba Mufti, Jagdeesh Tytler?

Bhupendra Chaubey: A person who is communal is communal. I don’t know whether a Mehbooba Mufti could be kept in this league, but the rest of all the other names that you have got are as communal as anyone else.

Dharmesh Doshi: Do you personally feel that there is any progress in terms of infrastructure, economic condition, social condition, power, agriculture in Gujarat by Modi government?

Bhupendra Chaubey: Yes, you have to admit that there has been progress made in all these areas that you are talking about. I am told that he has also done a lot of work in increasing power generation in the state. The overall condition appears to be much better than say the year 2000.

Narinder Sethi What is your gut feeling regarding the outcome of Gujarat election?

Bhupendra Chaubey: My gut feeling is that he will win. But the ground political reality seems to suggest that he is on his way out. Not sure whether I should listen to my heart or mind.

Manish: If EC takes cognizance of the comment made by Modi, what could happen next?

Bhupendra Chaubey: Don’t think the EC can do anything. Can you remember the last occasion when the EC would have taken any action against politicians who cross the thin red line? Mayawati, Mulayam Singh, Uma Bharti, Digvijay Singh, Bal Thackeray, Vilasrao Deshmukh, all have been guilty of name calling. Yet they were only censured. Think the same will happen this time too.

Bhavesh L Kookani Do you honestly think that IBN has been objective in its Gujarat poll coverage? Isn't there an obvious anti-Modi/pro-Congress flavour in the reporting?

Bhupendra Chaubey: Not at all Bhavesh, in fact on the contrary I feel that we have been the only network which has dared to show the actual reality of Gujarat. The reality is that the situation on the ground for an ordinary Gujarati is much better. We have tried to move away from the horror of 2002 and talk about the Gujarat that’s supposed to be a vibrant Gujarat in 2007.

Yogesh What you think SC verdict will help Modi or not?

Bhupendra Chaubey: It’s an interesting thought. When Tehelka did a story showing how the VHP people admitted to Modi's role in Gujarat, there was a feeling that the more people talk about Godhra and communalism, the more the elections will tilt in his favour. I tend to agree with this line of thinking. Modi is looking for a provocative issue in these elections. If the SC comes down heavily against him, he is going to benefit

Prem: Sir, what does a defeat/a victory signify for the nation and democracy as a whole?

Bhupendra Chaubey: Fascist forces can never be an asset for any mature democracy. Any politician who wants to rule on the basis of religion cannot be welcome. In that sense, a defeat for him will surely be beneficial for the nation as a whole.

Gopalacharyaramadas: Do you think the people of West Bengal should also think on development lines and throw out the Left Parties on the plank of development? Yesterday Mr Prakash Karat said the he is now withdrawing support to UPA because of the fear of helping Modiji the best chief minister India has ever seen. Mr Jyothi Basu ruled WB for 25 years. His son became rich. People are still starving. They are voting out of fear. PM should first of all use the fear language against Mr Budha and Jyothi Basu.

Bhupendra Chaubey: To me there is no difference when Modi said after Godhra “every action has an equal and opposite reaction” and Budhadeb Bhattacharjee saying “We paid them back in the same coin”. Both are equally autocratic, and dictatorial. The only difference is that in West Bengal, the left has become synonymous with struggle, and that’s why the party continues to do well.