As voters come out to vote in Borivali, a keenly watched seat in suburban Mumbai, under the spotlight are its Gujarati voters. The vote of the community is expected to fuel the victory of the BJP candidate Vinod Tawde, who was leader of the legislative council. While the seat has been a traditional BJP bastion, it is the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that is powering the Gujarati sentiment. "We voted for Gopal Shetty (in the Lok Sabha) only for Modiji. Even now we will vote for Tawdeji just for Modiji," said Ketan Shah, a jewel trader in Borivali after casting his vote.
On the back foot after the BJP's split with it, the Sena resorted to its age old tactic of fuelling regional sentiment. Targeting the Gujarati leadership of the BJP, led by Amit Shah, the party has attempted to cash in the hurt “Marathi asmita.” While analysts are not sure if the tactic will work as even among the Marathis there is a strong middle and business class, it has certainly led to some bitterness. The outcome is Gujarati vs Marathi rhetoric.
Dilip Dedhia, a trader, blames the Sena for trying to divide the electorate on regional basis. "Do gujaratis chase them (Marathis) out of Gujarat?" he asks. “Then why is the Sena making such comments. Now he (Uddhav Thackeray) is tagetting Mr. Modi’s father (over the tea-seller comments).”
In its campaign the Sena has dubbed the BJP leadership “outsiders” comparing Amit Shah to Adil Shah, who attacked Maharashtra but couldn’t conquer it. This seems to have effected a bitterness for the Sena among the Gujarati community.
“Even if a thief contests on a BJP ticket, we will vote for Modi,” said Narayan Chauhan, a trader. “Their (the Sena’s) over confidence won't work. Modi's work speaks for himself,” he said.
However, in Marathis pockets of the city there is a strong sentiment in favour of the Sena. Sagar Diwale, an insurance company professional, said his vote went to the Sena as he believes that the party can best work for the “local” interests of Maharashtra. “In the Lok Sabha, I voted for BJP due to Mr. Modi’s promises. But I feel Uddhav understands the issues related to Maharashtra better.”
