In political minefield Gadchiroli, it’s seesaw battle between BJP’s star cast & Wadettiwar’s proxy

GADCHIROLI: The Gadchiroli-Chimur election is poised on a knife edge with BJP carpet-bombing the district with star campaigners as only an outright victory can help it realise its ambitious dream of transforming the Maoist-hit, mineral rich district into a flourishing steel city, bigger than Jamshedpur. In the tense tug-of-war, while a resurgent Congress candidate Namdeo Kirsan, is unleashing a blistering campaign in the tribal heartland, BJP’s Ashok Nete who’s on a cusp of a hattrick, is battling massive anti-incumbency and is marshalling every resource from mobilising star campaigners like Gadkari and Fadnavis to flaunting his Gond lineage to unleashing the Modi card to romp home.

As public mood swings by the hour with money and muscle tipping the scales, Congress’ Kirsan’s lone trump card remains Leader of the Opposition, Vijay Wadettiwar, who is camping and toiling round-the-clock in the district, instead of his home turf Chandrapur.

“Kirsan is an outsider, and he can’t speak your language. It’s a question of Gond pride,” cries Nete while rallying the tribals. While Kirsan scrambles to shed his outsider tag, he’s buoyed by Wadettiwar’s well-oiled machinery. The battle for Gadchiroli has virtually narrowed down to a high-voltage combat between Nete and Wadettiwar with Maoists waiting in ambush in the fringes. Restive Gadchiroli, particularly its southern areas will witness the biggest security deployment in Maharashtra in the ensuing polls, said SP, Gadchiroli, Neelotpal.

“The Wadettiwar factor is crucial in Gadchiroli-Brahmapuri-Chimur belt, where he began his political career and knows the place and its people well, despite being a non-tribal,” said a political analyst. And master strategist Wadettiwar is working hard to turn the tide for Kirsan, who’s eloquently raising tribal and forest rights as his key poll plank. “We have mobilised 1,500 gram sabhas to back Kirsan on the vow of implementing Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act (PESA). In Maoist-hit talukas of Aheri, Bhamragarh, Mulchera and Etapalli, the gram panchayat diktat can be a gamechanger for Kirsan,” said a Wadettiwar aide. Within hours, the sarpanches of these restive talukas were being weaned away by the BJP camp with Nete’s emissaries swarming the villages with tall promises.

The mood in the tribal heartland can be best summed by Gadchiroli's tribal royal and state minister, Dharmaraobaba Atram’s statement — “The last 48 hours will decide the fate of the elections. Loyalties blur in the last lap and Kirsan just may find himself alone in the battlefield.” He says, the entire Mahayuti machinery has been mobilised to help Nete score a hattrick, adding “why is Wadettiwar not campaigning on his home turf, Chandrapur?”

Take the case of Gadchiroli’s good doctor and former Congress MLA Namdeo Usendi, who has fought fierce electoral battles against Nete for decades, but he suddenly moved to the saffron camp in run-up to polls and is campaigning shoulder to shoulder with his one-time arch rival. On Sunday, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis returned to the constituency and held a mammoth rally at Dhanora to swing Nete’s fortunes.

Speaking to TOI, Dr Usendi said, “I was pushed to the sidelines by Congress after steadfastly serving them for 30 years. I feel the party in power can bring about development and Prime minister Narendra Modi will return to power and he will resurrect our backward district. Nete can represent Gadchiroli better than Congress’ Kirsan, who is from Gondia and is unaware of the local language and culture.” Referring to his former mentor, Vijay Wadettiwar, Usendi said, he’s not welcome in Congress’ rallies in Chandrapur, so he’s putting his weight behind Kirsan.

In an informal chat with TOI, BJP's two-time sitting MP Ashok Nete reiterated that Kirsan was not a Gond and hailed from the Halbi tribal community, who don’t have any local connect. “I ensured three key railway projects in Gadchiroli, including the one which will connect this district with Telangana. My efforts ensured allocation of Rs 380 crore funds for areas affected by Leftwing extremism like Gadchiroli,” he said.

Gadchiroli has 78% forest cover and is blessed with minerals, including the best quality iron ore in India. “Transportation facility and infrastructure is the key to transform the region into a Jamshedpur. I have proposed an airport and helped set up the Gondwana University, Krushi Vidyapeeth, ITI for industrial training,” said Nete, adding that three doctors, Namdeo Usendi, Nitin Kondwate and Dr Narote, would help him garner support among tribals, who need the healing touch.

While Nete is marshalling every resource at his disposal, Chandrapur strongman who’s leading the Congress blitzkrieg here says he will create the biggest upset in Gadchiroli. "Wait for counting day," he says with a smile.

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